Incident Overview
An aircraft operating a flight from Simferopol to Yerevan encountered severe atmospheric turbulence while cruising at an altitude of 10,200 meters over the city of Gali in Abkhazia. The crew had observed cumulonimbus clouds at high altitude but did not modify the flight route. The aircraft entered the clouds and experienced severe turbulence.
Aftermath and Damage
Despite the turbulence, the crew was able to continue the flight without further incident and land at Yerevan Airport. After parking on the apron, an inspection of the aircraft revealed that it had sustained severe structural damage. The damage was attributed to excessive G loads recorded during the event, specifically +3.05 and -0.65. The aircraft was subsequently deemed damaged beyond repair. There were no casualties.