Incident Overview

Date: Wednesday 12 September 2012
Aircraft Type: Antonov An-28
Owner/operator: Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky Air Enterprise
Registration Number: RA-28715
Location: 11 km SW of Palana Airport – ÿ Russia
Phase of Flight: Approach
Status: Destroyed, written off
Casualties: Fatalities: 10 / Occupants: 14
Component Affected: Approach ProceduresApproach Procedures
Investigating Agency: MAKMAK
Category: Accident
An Antonov 28 passenger plane, operated by Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky Air Enterprise, crashed near Palana Airport, Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia, due to a violation of established approach procedures. The flight was operating on an instrument flight rules (IFR) and was within limits for an approach and landing. The crew initiated a premature descent, exceeding the minimum safe altitude of 2150 meters, and subsequently crashed into a wooded slope of Mount Pyatibratka. The accident resulted in the loss of all crew and passengers.An Antonov 28 passenger plane, operated by Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky Air Enterprise, crashed near Palana Airport, Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia, due to a violation of established approach procedures. The flight was operating on an instrument flight rules (IFR) and was within limits for an approach and landing. The crew initiated a premature descent, exceeding the minimum safe altitude of 2150 meters, and subsequently crashed into a wooded slope of Mount Pyatibratka. The accident resulted in the loss of all crew and passengers.

Description

An Antonov 28 passenger plane, operated by Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky Air Enterprise, was destroyed in an accident near Palana Airport, Kamchatka peninsula, Russia. Flight 251 was operating on an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan. Weather at the destination airport Palana included a visibility of 6000 m and a cloud base at 470 m. This was within limits for an approach and landing at Palana. The crew were cleared for an approach to runway 11. The approach to Palana consists of a flight to the NDB beacon above the minimum safe altitude of 2150 m, followed by entering a holding pattern, and a descent for the approach. The crew did not fly to the NDB. The flight was 22 km from the NDB when the crew reported being overhead. Descent was initiated until the airplane struck trees at 320 m above sea level on the wooded slope of Mount Pyatibratka. Cause of the accident aircraft involving An-28 RA-28715 was a violation by the crew of the established approach procedures at the airport Palana, by carrying out a premature descent to below the minimum safe altitude when flying in mountainous terrain, weather conditions, precluding sustained visual contact with ground reference points, which led to a crash of the aircraft with the mountainside, its destruction and the death of the crew and passengers. Alcohol was discovered in the blood of both crew members. Contributing factors were: – a low level of discipline of personnel and unsatisfactory flight methodical work in the aviation enterprise in terms of the lack of control over pre-flight preparation by the crew and execution of the approach procedures; – inaction by the crew after the altimeter alarm when reaching a dangerous altitude; Availability on the An-28 aircraft of a ground proximity warning system (GPWS), could possibly have prevent the accident.

Source of Information

http://www.itar-tass.com/en/c32/518044.html, http://www.mak.ru/russian/investigations/2012/an-28_ra-28715.htmlhttp://www.itar-tass.com/en/c32/518044.html, http://www.mak.ru/russian/investigations/2012/an-28_ra-28715.html

Primary Cause

Violation of established approach procedures, including a premature descent to below the minimum safe altitude, due to weather conditions and lack of visual contact with ground reference points.Violation of established approach procedures, including a premature descent to below the minimum safe altitude, due to weather conditions and lack of visual contact with ground reference points.

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