What happened
During a ferry flight returning to Moscow following a passenger drop-off in Hurghada, an aircraft crashed while approaching Moscow-Domodedovo Airport. At the time of the incident, the area was experiencing heavy fog, which significantly reduced visibility. Specifically, horizontal visibility near the threshold of runway 14L was measured at 1,300 meters, while vertical visibility was limited to 200 feet.
During the descent, the flight computer experienced a failure. Despite this technical issue and the fact that the crew could not visually identify the runway, the captain proceeded with the approach rather than executing a go-around. The aircraft descended below the established glide path and struck trees in a heavily wooded area located approximately 1,450 meters before the runway threshold. The impact resulted in the destruction of the aircraft. There were eight injuries reported among the occupants, with three of those classified as serious.
Findings
- The flight crew continued the approach despite visibility being below the required minimums.
- A failure of the flight computer occurred during the flight.
- The pilot failed to initiate a necessary go-around procedure when visual contact with the runway could not be established.