What happened
During an attempt to perform a visual approach to Batumi Airport, the flight crew encountered unfavorable weather and decided to execute a go-around. The pilot-in-command performed an initial right-hand turn and proceeded for approximately 1.5 km before initiating a leftward turn.
While the aircraft was maintaining an altitude of 550 meters and traveling at speeds between 300 and 350 km/h, it struck the side of Mt Mtirala, which has an elevation of 595 meters. The impact occurred roughly 15 km from the airport while the plane was in a configuration with landing gear and flaps extended. The collision caused the aircraft to disintegrate, and there were 40 fatalities among the occupants.
Findings
Investigations revealed that air traffic control did not accurately communicate the actual weather conditions at Batumi Airport to the crew. Although ATC had reported a visibility of 5 km, the actual visibility was reduced to only 3 km. Because of these marginal conditions, the crew could not identify the mountain during the maneuver, leading to controlled flight into terrain.