What happened
A flight operated by an unspecified operator, traveling from Surgut with a planned stop in Samara, was conducting an approach to Samara-Kurumoch Airport. The aircraft was carrying 50 passengers and 7 crew members at the time of the incident. During the descent, the crew performed the approach checklist, extending the landing gear and setting the flaps to 30°.
As the aircraft approached the runway, meteorological conditions deteriorated significantly. The flight was operating in freezing fog with a vertical visibility of 300 feet, a visibility of 150 metres, and a Runway Visual Range (RVR) of 200 metres for runway 23. While navigating these low-visibility conditions, the aircraft descended beneath the Minimum Descent Altitude (MDA). The aircraft subsequently impacted the ground at a speed of 320 km/h, striking the terrain 304 metres from the runway threshold and 95 metres to the left of the extended centerline. The impact caused the aircraft to come to rest in an inverted position and resulted in a partial fire.
The accident resulted in 6 fatalities and 21 injuries, while 30 occupants managed to escape the wreckage without harm.
Findings
The primary factor in the accident was the descent below the minimum descent altitude during an approach characterized by visibility that had fallen below required minimums.