Investigation Summary
The flight had originally diverted to Prague due to poor weather in Berlin. After conditions improved, the aircraft departed for Schönefeld. During the final approach, the controller broadcasted in English that runway 25R was closed and that its lights were being turned on for testing purposes only. The Aeroflot radio operator, lacking sufficient English skills, misunderstood this as a clearance to land on 25R. The pilot disconnected the autopilot and manually banked the aircraft to align with 25R, which was located 460 meters to the right of the active runway 25L. When the controller noticed the deviation and clarified that 25L was the intended runway, the crew attempted a sharp corrective maneuver. During this turn, the aircraft descended 60 meters below the glide slope at a low speed of 263 km/h. The crew failed to increase engine thrust during the correction, leading to a rapid descent rate of 7 m/s and a subsequent collision with trees.
Final Conclusions
The accident was caused by a combination of language barriers, poor Cockpit Resource Management (CRM), and a failure to follow standard operating procedures. The radio operator's incorrect translation led the flight deck to abandon a stabilized ILS approach. The subsequent manual maneuvering at low altitude without power adjustment resulted in a controlled flight into terrain (CFIT).
Video Analysis
No video analysis linked for this case file yet.
Airframe & Maintenance
Crew Experience
Captain
First Officer
Navigator
Flight Engineer
Radio Operator
Misinterpreted the English instruction regarding the closed runway.
Systems & Failure Modes
ILS (Instrument Landing System)
The aircraft was following the ILS for runway 25L before the crew manually deviated from the signal.
Autopilot
The crew disengaged the autopilot to perform a manual sidestep maneuver toward the wrong runway.
Interesting Facts
- 01The crash killed 72 people, including 20 schoolchildren from a high school in Schwerin.
- 02The aircraft was a Tupolev Tu-134A manufactured in 1980.
- 03Runway 25R was closed for renovation, but its lights were switched on for a technical test during the approach.
- 04The crew failed to increase engine thrust while performing the corrective maneuver to return to the 25L centerline.
- 05Twelve people initially survived the impact, but two later died in the hospital, resulting in a final total of 72 fatalities and 10 survivors.
Safety Actions & Advisories
English Language Proficiency Requirements
The accident highlighted the critical need for standardized English proficiency among international flight crews to prevent misinterpretation of ATC instructions.