B738, Sochi Russia, 2018

B738, Sochi Russia, 2018

Summary

On 1 September 2018, a Boeing 737-800, making its second night approach to Sochi beneath a large convective storm with low level windshear reported, floated almost halfway along the wet runway before overrunning it by approximately 400 metres and breaching the perimeter fence before stopping. A small fire did not prevent all occupants from safely evacuating. The Investigation attributed the accident to crew disregard of a number of windshear warnings and a subsequent encounter with horizontal windshear resulting in a late touchdown and noted that the first approach had meant that the crew had been poorly prepared for the second.

Description

On 1 September 2018, a Boeing 737-800 (VQ-BJI) being operated by UTAir on a scheduled domestic passenger flight from Moscow Vnukovo to Sochi as UT579 overran the wet destination runway 06 after touchdown after making a second approach to it in night IMC. The aircraft was substantially damaged but all 172 occupants successfully evacuated the aircraft with just 8 serious and 10 minor injuries to passengers. A fuel fed fire broke out in the left wing but was quickly brought under control. Damage was caused to various aerodrome installations as well as the perimeter fence.

The aircraft at its final stopping position. [Reproduced from the Official Report]

Investigation

An Investigation was carried out by the Air Accident Investigation Commission of the Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC-MAK). The SSFDR, the SSCVR and the QAR were all recovered undamaged from the aircraft and their data were successfully downloaded and found to cover the whole accident flight.

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