What happened
A flight traveling from Surgut to Belgorod, with a scheduled stop in Samara, was conducting its approach to Samara-Kurumoch Airport when the accident occurred. The aircraft was carrying 50 passengers and 7 crew members at the time of the incident. As the flight approached the airport, weather conditions deteriorated significantly, resulting in visibility levels that were below the required minimums for safe operation.
After completing the approach checklist, the crew deployed the landing gear and set the flaps to 30°. During the descent, the aircraft dropped below the Minimum Descent Altitude (MDA). The plane struck the ground at a speed of 320 km/h, coming to rest approximately 304 metres from the runway threshold and 95 metres to the left of the extended centerline. The impact caused the aircraft to land upside down and resulted in a partial fire. The accident resulted in 6 fatalities and 21 injuries, while 30 occupants escaped without harm.
At the time of the crash, the area was experiencing freezing fog, with vertical visibility measured at 300 feet and a runway visual range (RVR) of 200 metres for runway 23.
Findings
Investigations into the accident identified several contributing factors related to operational and systemic failures. A primary factor was the crew's decision to continue the descent below the MDA despite visibility being below established minimums, failing to initiate a go-around when visual contact with approach lights was lost.
Additional findings included:
- Procedural and technical deficiencies in the coordination between air traffic control (ATC) and meteorological services.
- Inadequate airport documentation and standards at Samara Airport, which prevented ATC from providing timely weather updates regarding deteriorating conditions recorded by the KRAMS-4 station.
- Limitations in the use of radar capabilities by ATC due to conflicting regulatory documents.
- Suboptimal crew coordination and a delay in executing the necessary missed approach procedures.
- A lack of unified federal regulations governing the interaction between flight operations, ATC, and meteorological services.