What happened
During an approach into Dubai, the aircraft was executing a series of descents as instructed by air traffic control. While descending through 1,800 feet, the flight encountered turbulent air. The crew reached an altitude of 1,500 feet approximately 15 km from the threshold of runway 30. During this phase, the crew did not report their arrival at the assigned altitude to controllers and was subsequently directed to a heading of 270 for the final approach.
In conditions of limited visibility, the crew performed a right turn at 400 km/h and deployed the landing gear. At 820 feet, an onboard alarm indicated an excessive angle of attack, prompting the captain to reduce the pitch from 20° to 14°. Shortly after, at 690 feet, the aircraft encountered a second patch of turbulence. The captain attempted to increase engine power to compensate for insufficient altitude, but the aircraft struck the ground 13 km before the runway and caught fire. The impact caused the aircraft to disintegrate. The accident resulted in 85 fatalities and one survivor, the copilot.
Findings
Investigations into the crash identified several contributing factors related to flight management and environmental conditions:
- The crew did not adhere to published approach procedures or perform standard briefings and checks.
- The aircraft continued its descent below the minimum descent altitude (MDA).
- There was a notable lack of coordination and mutual crosschecking between the crew members during the descent.
- Environmental factors included nighttime visibility limitations and turbulence along the approach path.
- Failure to follow established approach procedures led to the controlled flight into terrain.