What happened
A flight operating on behalf of the Spanish Government was traveling from Bishkek to Zaragoza, with a scheduled stop in Trabzon. The aircraft was transporting 62 members of the Spanish military—comprising 41 Land Forces personnel and 21 Air Force personnel—returning from a mission in Afghanistan, along with 13 crew members.
During the nighttime descent into Trabzon Airport, the flight encountered heavy fog that significantly reduced visibility. After being unable to identify the runway 29 approach lights or the runway itself, the crew performed a go-around. During a subsequent attempt to land, the aircraft deviated from the prescribed approach pattern for runway 29. The aircraft type struck a mountain at an altitude of 4,600 feet. The impact caused the plane to disintegrate, and all 75 fatalities were recorded. The debris field was located approximately 3.5 km east of Maçka, roughly 23 km from the airport.
Findings
Investigations concluded that the accident was a controlled flight into terrain. Several contributing factors were identified, including a loss of situational awareness among the crew and a failure to adhere to the operator's Standard Operational Procedures. The crew did not follow published approach charts and instead utilized a non-precision approach. Furthermore, the investigation noted the improper use of automated flight systems, insufficient training, and the fact that the crew descended below the minimum descent altitude while operating in limited visibility.