Investigation Summary
The accident was characterized by a total breakdown in cockpit discipline and procedural adherence. During the descent, the navigator failed to set his altimeter to the correct local pressure, and the crew consistently reported altitudes that did not match their actual position. The aircraft arrived at the final approach fix significantly higher and faster than prescribed. Instead of executing a missed approach when it became clear they were not aligned with the glideslope, the captain attempted to force the aircraft down. The landing gear was not deployed until the aircraft was nearly at the aerodrome, and the high rate of descent required to capture the glideslope from above led to a collision with obstacles in the village of Lebyazhy Lug.
Final Conclusions
The investigation concluded that the primary cause was the crew's decision to continue an unstabilized approach characterized by excessive speed and altitude. Contributing factors included the navigator's failure to set the correct barometric pressure on his altimeter, the air traffic controller's failure to correct the aircraft's obvious deviations from the flight path, and the captain's failure to initiate a go-around when landing parameters were exceeded.
Video Analysis
No video analysis linked for this case file yet.
Airframe & Maintenance
Crew Experience
Captain
Vladimir Nikolayevich Gruzdev
Co-pilot
Vasiliy Yuryevich Gruzdev
Flight engineer
Mikhail Gennadievich Karlov
Flight engineer instructor
Yuri Mikhailovich Eremenko
Navigator
Mikhail Anatolevich Konovalov
Systems & Failure Modes
Altimeter
The navigator failed to set the correct barometric pressure, leading to altitude awareness errors.
Instrument Landing System (ILS)
The crew failed to properly intercept the glideslope and localizer, resulting in an unstabilized approach.
Interesting Facts
- 01All 84 people on board, including 21 children, perished in the crash.
- 02The aircraft was 9 kilometers off its designated route during the approach phase.
- 03The navigator failed to update his altimeter to the correct local pressure setting.
- 04The crew attempted to land despite being significantly above the glideslope and exceeding safe approach speeds.
- 05No fatalities occurred on the ground despite the aircraft striking several buildings.
Safety Actions & Advisories
Approach Stabilization Training
Emphasis was placed on the mandatory requirement to perform a go-around if approach parameters (speed, altitude, configuration) are not met by the final approach fix.