What happened
During a nighttime approach to Moscow-Sheremetyevo Airport, an aircraft encountered challenging meteorological conditions characterized by rain, fog, and low visibility. Following a series of four turns during the approach phase, the crew descended below the established glide path. The aircraft type impacted trees in a forested region situated approximately 11 km before reaching runway 07. The impact resulted in the total destruction of the airframe. The accident claimed the lives of 31 people, consisting of five crew members and 26 passengers, while leaving six other occupants with serious injuries.
Findings
Official investigations determined that there were no mechanical failures within the aircraft or specific meteorological phenomena that directly caused the crash. Instead, evidence from radio communications and wreckage analysis suggested that the crew was operating under the impression that they were maintaining a standard approach altitude. The investigation highlighted discrepancies in altimeter settings as a critical factor. While both instruments were set to the correct atmospheric pressure, the left altimeter was set to QFE 990 millibars and the right altimeter to 1013 millibars. This deviation from standard Austrian Airlines procedures created a conflict between the two readings. Investigators could not definitively determine if the descent was caused by a technical malfunction in the instruments, an error in reading the gauges, or the specific divergent settings used by the pilot.