Flight and Aircraft Information
Flight MA262, operated from Budapest to Thessaloniki, was originally scheduled with a Boeing 737-300 (registration HA-LES) but was substituted with a Tupolev Tu-154B-2 due to technical issues. The flight proceeded without incident until arrival.
Approach and Instructions
The crew was cleared for a VOR/DME approach to runway 34, followed by a visual circle to land on runway 28. Runway 34 was closed due to construction. After a Boeing 757 slowed while vacating the runway, air traffic control instructed the flight to extend the downwind leg for runway 28. For reasons not specified in the investigation, the crew did not comply and instead performed an 'S' maneuver.
Final Approach and Incident
On final approach, the tower controller informed the crew that the undercarriage had not been lowered. The captain increased engine power and initiated a go-around, but this decision was made too late. The aircraft continued to descend and struck the runway surface with the landing gear retracted at 1657 local time. The aircraft sustained substantial damage, but the crew successfully executed a go-around and entered a holding pattern. A safe landing was completed at 1715 local time. All 94 occupants evacuated without injury; however, the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable Cause
According to the official findings, the probable cause was that despite repeated instructions from the control tower, the crew did not carry out a short turn for landing, resulting in: the aircraft not being aligned with the runway in time (unstabilized approach); the cockpit crew's attention exclusively dedicated to performing sudden maneuvers at low altitude to align the plane; and failure to lower the undercarriage in accordance with applicable procedures for that flight phase. Contributing factors included the apparent inactivation of the audible warning when the undercarriage was not deployed and lack of cockpit resource management.