RusAir Flight 9605 crash

Aircraft

The aircraft involved was a Tupolev Tu-134A-3, registration RA-65691, c/n 63195. It was manufactured and first flown in 1980.

Incident

The aircraft crashed onto the A133 highway while on final approach to Petrozavodsk Airport, about 1,200 m (3,900 ft) short of the runway. The cause of the crash was not immediately clear. The crash happened about midnight local time in reportedly poor weather, including heavy fog and the aircraft had apparently attempted to land on the highway before crashing. The head of the federal air transport agency said the plane had hit a 15-metre (49 ft) tall pine tree before it crashed, adding that there was no fire or explosion on board the aircraft before the incident.

According to airport officials, the plane was flying off-course by about 200 metres (660 ft) and started its descent much earlier than appropriate. Petrozavodsk ground control said they recommended the pilots take a second approach due to the low visibility and bad weather conditions. The pilot, according to the official, replied that he would attempt the first approach and said he could land the plane. According to the office of the emergency ministry in Karelia, the republic in which the incident occurred, radio contact with the plane had been lost at 23:40 local time (19:40 UTC), shortly before the aircraft crashed.

Casualties

There were 43 passengers and nine crew members on board, a total of 52, of which 47 were killed and the remaining 5 injured. Of the survivors, one was a flight attendant. The other crew members were among the fatalities.