Tupolev Tu-134A – CCCP-65795

Incident Overview

Date: Friday 12 December 1986

Aircraft Type: Tupolev Tu-134A

Owner/operator: Aeroflot / Belarus

Registration Number: CCCP-65795

Location: 3 km NE of Berlin-Schnefeld Airport (SXF) – ÿ Germany

Phase of Flight: Approach

Status: Destroyed, written off

Casualties: Fatalities: 72 / Occupants: 82

Component Affected: Pilot’s actions and communication system (specifically the radio operator’s misinterpretation of the instruction).Pilot’s actions and communication system (specifically the radio operator’s misinterpretation of the instruction).

Category: Accident

On October 26, 2006, a Tupolev Tu-134A flight, Aeroflot flight 892, crashed while on approach to Berlin-Schnefeld Airport, Germany, resulting in the loss of 72 passengers and nine crew members. The flight departed Minsk-1 International Airport, Soviet Union (now Belarus), to Berlin-Schnefeld Airport, East Germany (now Germany). During descent to runway 25L, the aircraft was cleared for an ILS approach, but the controller radioed to all aircraft on frequency that runway 25R was closed. The pilot, misinterpreting the instruction, replied ‘Got it, thank you, 25 right’. This error was not noted by other crew members, leading to the aircraft deviating to Prague Airport. The aircraft then banked to the left to align with runway 25R, descending to an altitude of 60 meters below the glide slope. Engine power was maintained, and the aircraft descended at a speed of 263 km/h, increasing the descent rate to 7 m/s. The aircraft struck treetops 3 kilometers from the runway, resulting in a catastrophic crash in a forest. Initial reports indicated 70 fatalities, with subsequent two passengers dying within two weeks due to injuries.On October 26, 2006, a Tupolev Tu-134A flight, Aeroflot flight 892, crashed while on approach to Berlin-Schnefeld Airport, Germany, resulting in the loss of 72 passengers and nine crew members. The flight departed Minsk-1 International Airport, Soviet Union (now Belarus), to Berlin-Schnefeld Airport, East Germany (now Germany). During descent to runway 25L, the aircraft was cleared for an ILS approach, but the controller radioed to all aircraft on frequency that runway 25R was closed. The pilot, misinterpreting the instruction, replied ‘Got it, thank you, 25 right’. This error was not noted by other crew members, leading to the aircraft deviating to Prague Airport. The aircraft then banked to the left to align with runway 25R, descending to an altitude of 60 meters below the glide slope. Engine power was maintained, and the aircraft descended at a speed of 263 km/h, increasing the descent rate to 7 m/s. The aircraft struck treetops 3 kilometers from the runway, resulting in a catastrophic crash in a forest. Initial reports indicated 70 fatalities, with subsequent two passengers dying within two weeks due to injuries.

Description

Aeroflot flight 892, a Tupolev Tu-134A, crashed while on approach to Berlin-Schnefeld Airport, Germany, killing 72 occupants; 10 survived the accident. Flight 892 was a scheduled service from Minsk-1 International Airport, Soviet Union (now Belarus), to Berlin-Schnefeld Airport, East Germany (now Germany). On board were 73 passengers and a crew of nine. Poor visibility at Berlin forced the flight to divert to the alternate: Prague Airport, Czechoslovakia (now Czech Republic). When weather had improved, the flight took off from Prague. While descending towards Schnefeld Airport, the flight was cleared for an ILS approach to runway 25L. The aircraft captured the glide slope at 13.5 km from the runway. The Runway Visual Range (RVR) was reported to be 900 meters visibility, and 1700 m at point A and 1000 m at point B of the runway. As the aircraft was descending for runway 25L, the air traffic controller radioed to all aircraft on frequency that runway 25R was closed. The radio operator of flight 892 wrongly understood this message as a clearance to land on runway 25R. He replied “Got it, thank you, 25 right”. This error was not noted by other crew members of flight 892 because of their lack of proficiency in English. The flight crew disconnected the autopilot and began a manoeuvre to align with runway 25R. The distance between both runways was 460 m. The controller noted this manoeuvre and radioed that flight 892 was cleared for 25L. The airplane then banked to the left again to align with 25L, at the same time the aircraft descended to an altitude of 60 m below the glide slope. Engine power was not changed during the manoeuvre and the aircraft descended at a speed of 263 km/h and an increasing the rate of descent to 7 m/s. The aircraft struck treetops 3 km from the runway and crashed in a forest. Initially 70 occupants died; about 2 weeks later another two passengers died from their injuries.