Aeroflot Flight 892

Template:Infobox aircraft occurrence Aeroflot Flight 892 was an international passenger service operating from Minsk to East Berlin. On 12 December 1986, the flight ended in tragedy due to pilot error, resulting in the deaths of seventy-two out of eighty-two individuals aboard.

Accident

The flight, originally scheduled from Minsk to East Berlin, was rerouted to Prague because of unfavorable weather. After conditions improved in Berlin, the aircraft resumed its journey to the intended destination. Upon arrival, weather restrictions permitted only an ILS approach. Air traffic control authorized landing on runway 25L (left). However, as the plane began its final approach, runway lights for runway 25R (right)—which was closed for maintenance at the time—were illuminated. The controller issued a caution in English indicating this was merely a test. Due to limited English comprehension among the Aeroflot crew, the radio operator mistakenly interpreted this as clearance to land on runway 25R. Consequently, the pilot disengaged the autopilot and manually adjusted the aircraft’s heading toward runway 25R, situated approximately 460 meters to the right of runway 25L and about 2200 meters closer to the aircraft’s current position. Ground personnel detected this deviation; however, warnings were overlooked for several moments amid crew discussions. The ILS signal was subsequently lost. When the crew recognized their error, they quickly attempted to correct their course and re-engaged the autopilot but failed to increase engine thrust. This led to a stall of the Tu-134, which collided with trees roughly three kilometers short of runway 25L’s threshold. The impact caused fuel ignition within the tanks. Emergency responders initially found twelve survivors; however, two later succumbed to injuries in hospital. Ultimately, nine crew members and sixty-three passengers—including twenty students from class 10A of a high school in Schwerin—perished in the accident.

External links

• Aeroflot Flight 892 information at Aviation Safety Network