What happened
During a night flight from Termez, the crew initiated their descent toward Tashkent-Yuzhny Airport under challenging weather conditions characterized by heavy fog. At the time of the approach, visibility for runway 08L was restricted, with reported RVR values between 600 and 900 meters. During the initial approach, the pilot maintained an excessive rate of descent, which led the aircraft to drop below the minimum descent altitude without establishing visual contact with the terrain.
At an altitude of approximately 165 to 170 meters, the aircraft was leveled out, but the subsequent descent rate became insufficient. The aircraft crossed the runway threshold at an altitude of roughly 30 to 40 meters and traveled 3.3 km along the runway surface. Although the pilot eventually sighted the runway lights and decided to land, the aircraft continued past the end of the 4 km runway.
Upon realizing the runway was ending, the pilot reduced engine power to idle and deployed thrust reversers in an attempt to execute a go-around. However, the aircraft struck a concrete wall, measuring 2 meters in height, located 260 meters beyond the runway threshold. The impact caused the loss of the right wing, and the aircraft subsequently crashed into a perimeter drainage ditch, where it caught fire. The accident resulted in 37 fatalities and the total destruction of the aircraft.
Findings
- The approach was conducted in low-visibility conditions with fog reducing the RVR.
- The pilot initially descended below the MDA without visual ground contact.
- The pilot failed to recognize the approaching end of the runway during the landing roll.