Investigation Summary
The Tu-154 was carrying internal security personnel and civilians into the besieged city on the second day of attacks against the Sukhumi air bridge. A missile launched from the sea struck the aircraft during its approach; the crew brought it onto the airstrip, where it broke up and burned. A second Tu-154 attacked later the same evening landed safely. The death toll of 108 makes this the worst aviation disaster ever recorded in Georgia.
Final Conclusions
The aircraft was destroyed by deliberate military action: a surface-to-air missile fired by Abkhazian separatist forces at a civil aircraft on approach, followed by a post-impact fire on the airstrip.
Video Analysis
No video analysis linked for this case file yet.
Interesting Facts
- 01This is the deadliest aviation disaster in Georgian history.
- 02The aircraft was carrying internal security forces and civilians from Tbilisi.
- 03A second Tu-154 attacked the same evening landed without loss of life.
Location
APPROXIMATE POSITION · Position recorded by the wikipedia geotag without a stated precision, so the ring shows roughly where the event occurred rather than an exact point. The ring shows the accuracy the record supports, not the point of impact.