What happened
During an approach to Leningrad-Pulkovo Airport in heavy rainfall, an aircraft traveling from Sukhumi experienced a significant deviation from its glide path. While descending at 400 meters with flaps set to 45 degrees, the aircraft's flight path dropped below the required glide slope. The aircraft subsequently impacted the ground approximately 13 meters before reaching the runway threshold. At the moment of impact, the plane was traveling at 250 km/h with a nose-down pitch and a descent rate of 7 meters per second.
The force of the impact, measured at 4.5 g, caused the airframe to break into three separate sections. The wreckage eventually came to a stop 80 meters to the left of the runway. The accident resulted in 13 fatalities, 38 injuries, and 130 individuals who escaped without harm.
Findings
Investigations into the crash identified that the crew utilized an incorrect approach configuration. Several contributing factors were noted, including a lack of coordination among the crew members and deviations from standard approach procedures. Specifically, inconsistent actions during the instrument approach led to a major vertical deviation from the intended descent trajectory, which the crew failed to correct in a timely manner. Furthermore, the decision to continue the landing attempt rather than performing a go-around was a critical factor, alongside a lack of sufficient assistance from the approach controller.