Incident Overview
A flight from Krasnodar to Omsk Airport ended in a catastrophic collision after landing. The aircraft approached the airport during night hours with rain, which limited visibility. Upon touchdown at a speed of 270 km/h, the captain noticed vehicles on the runway approximately one second later. He initiated a right turn, but the left wing struck the vehicles.
Impact and Aftermath
The collision destroyed all three vehicles, instantly killing the four people inside them. The aircraft then veered left, exited the runway, and came to rest upside down, broken in two. It subsequently burst into flames. Of the occupants aboard the aircraft, four crew members and one passenger survived; the remaining 174 occupants were killed.
Probable Cause
According to the official investigation, the accident was caused by the person responsible for runway maintenance. This individual allowed a team of three vehicles to enter the runway for maintenance and then fell asleep, failing to inform air traffic control (ATC) about their presence. Due to poor visibility from night and rain, the controller in the airport tower could not see the vehicles and thus could not warn the crew. Furthermore, the vehicles were not equipped with rotating flashing beacons or radios that would allow their personnel to monitor the tower frequency.