What happened
During a routine flight departing from Sverdelyovsk-Koltsovo Airport, the crew initiated an approach toward Kuybyshev-Kurumoch Airport. In an effort to conduct training, the captain chose to perform a 'blind' approach by closing the window blinds on his side of the cockpit, an action that violated established flight protocols. Upon reaching decision height, the pilot elected to continue the descent despite the improper configuration.
As the aircraft approached the threshold of runway 15, the flight engineer attempted to open the window blinds; however, this action occurred only one second before the impact. The aircraft struck the runway at a speed of 280 km/h with a vertical descent rate of 5 meters per second, experiencing a positive acceleration of 4.8 g. The force of the collision caused partial structural failure of the left wing. Following the initial impact, the aircraft traveled approximately 214 meters before overturning and catching fire. The accident resulted in 64 fatalities and 30 injuries, with several survivors later succumbing to their wounds.
Findings
Investigations determined that the primary cause was the captain's decision to execute a blind approach in violation of published procedures. Furthermore, the pilot failed to initiate a go-around maneuver after passing the decision height. The crew failed to provide any corrective input or reaction to the dangerous flight conditions.