Aircraft Crash at Novgorod Airport Due to Descent Below Minimums (CCCP-87458)

Incident Overview During an approach to Novgorod Airport, the crew encountered poor weather conditions characterized by fog and visibility below minimums. On final approach, the aircraft descended below the minimum descent altitude (MDA) and struck the roof of a printing house. The aircraft then crashed in flames onto a three-story residential building located three kilometers short of the runway. Both the aircraft and the building were destroyed. The accident resulted in the deaths of all six occupants of the aircraft and five people inside the building. ## Contributing Factors The official investigation identified the crew's failure to adhere to published procedures while descending below the MDA in below-minima visibility as the probable cause. Due to the fog, the crew failed to locate the runway but continued the approach instead of initiating a go-around procedure. The investigation also noted that weather information transmitted to the crew did not reflect actual conditions, which was considered a contributing factor, along with the lack of air traffic control (ATC) assistance.