Date & Time:
Jul 17, 1998 at 0415 LT
Type of aircraft:
Ilyushin II-78
Operator:
Registration:
UR-UCI
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Cargo
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Burgas - Asmara
MSN:
0834 14444
YOM:
1978
Flight number:
UKS701
Country:
Eritrea
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
9
Crew fatalities:
9
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
1
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
10
Circumstances:
Following an uneventful cargo flight from Burgas, the crew started a night approach to Asmara-Yohannes IV Airport. The visibility was relatively limited due to local patches of fog on approach. On final, at an altitude of 2,405 metres, the aircraft struck the slope of a mountain located 4,3 km short of runway 25. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and all 10 occupants were killed. The wreckage was found 72 metres below the summit. Remains still present at N15.304268 E38.959811 by December 2012.
Probable cause:
The following findings were identified:
- The crew decided to perform a visual approach to runway 25 while an instrument approach to runway 07 was the normal procedure,
- Limited visibility due to marginal weather conditions,
- ATC cleared the crew for an approach to runway 25 which was non-compliant according to published procedures,
- The crew failed to initiate a go-around procedure,
- The total weight of the aircraft at takeoff from Burgas Airport was at least 37 tons above MTOW and the crew was probably not aware of this situation.
- The crew decided to perform a visual approach to runway 25 while an instrument approach to runway 07 was the normal procedure,
- Limited visibility due to marginal weather conditions,
- ATC cleared the crew for an approach to runway 25 which was non-compliant according to published procedures,
- The crew failed to initiate a go-around procedure,
- The total weight of the aircraft at takeoff from Burgas Airport was at least 37 tons above MTOW and the crew was probably not aware of this situation.
