Aeroflot Flight 8556

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Aeroflot Flight 8556 was an internal passenger service operating between Sukhumi and Leningrad. The aircraft crashed approximately 13 meters before reaching the runway during its final approach, resulting in the deaths of 13 passengers.

Accident

The descent commenced at 12:45 Moscow time from an altitude of 10,100 metres (33,100 ft). Throughout the approach, weather conditions worsened with heavy rainfall and the presence of a cumulonimbus cloud; however, this information was not relayed to the flight crew. At roughly 13:05, when the aircraft was near 200 metres (660 ft), the rate of descent was increased to 7.5 m/s, causing the plane to fall below the designated glideslope. Concurrently, air traffic controllers were changed in breach of established procedures. Upon recognizing their position beneath the glideslope, the pilots applied increased engine thrust and attempted to climb. Despite this, the descent continued and again reached a rate of 7 m/s. At an altitude near 20 metres (66 ft), the crew identified the imminent danger and endeavored to halt their descent; however, the aircraft impacted terrain 13 meters short of the runway threshold. The landing gear collapsed on impact, and the fuselage fractured into three segments.

Causes

Multiple factors contributed to an unstable approach. The flight crew's actions were marked by inconsistency and lack of coordination. Additionally, no support was provided by the approach controller during critical final moments of flight. The tragedy might have been prevented if the pilots had executed a go-around maneuver upon recognizing that their approach was not stable.

Related topics

• Aeroflot mishaps and occurrences during the 1990s
• Compilation of accidents and incidents involving the Tupolev Tu-154

Sources

Template:Aviation mishaps and occurrences in 1991 Template:Aviation mishaps and occurrences within the Soviet Union during the 1980s and 1990s Template:Aviation mishaps and occurrences in Russia throughout the 1990s