Status:	Preliminary
Date:	25 OCT 2000
Time:	ca 18:15
Type:	Ilyushin 18D
Operator:	Russian Air Force
Registration:	RA-74295
C/n / msn:	187010602
First flight:	1968
Total airframe hrs:	15256
Cycles:	7694
Crew:	Fatalities: 11 / Occupants: 11
Passengers:	Fatalities: 72 / Occupants: 72
Total:	Fatalities: 83 / Occupants: 83
Airplane damage:	Written off
Airplane fate:	Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location:	18 km (11.3 mls) E of Batumi-Chorokh Airport (BUS) (Georgia)
Phase:	Approach (APR)
Nature:	Military passenger
Departure airport:	Chkalovsky Airport (CKL), Russia
Destination airport:	Batumi-Chorokh Airport (BUS/UGSB), Georgia

Narrative:
Due to bad weather (low clouds, rain) the crew attempted to land from the north-east (usually planes landing at Batumi approach from the seaside, i.e. from the west). When descending from 3000 m, the plane struck Mtirala mountain at the 1336 m level.

PROBABLE CAUSE: "A considerable departure of the plane from the assigned trajectory of descent and a landing approach to Batumi airport. This has caused the plane to lower to the altitude below permissible and fly into a mountain. Four factors continued to the accident: First, a navigation error made by the crew in the final stage of landing approach: second, a mistake made by Batumi air traffic controller who failed to locate the plane and conform it to the crew; third, the air traffic controller and the crew have lost control of the actual position of the plane and failed to cut short a landing approach and fly to a reserve airport. The fourth factor was" erroneous data shown by ground radio-technical facilities at Batumi airport."

Events:

Sources:
» Soviet Transports
» Itar/TASS
» Max Kobzev
» Scramble
Sample newspaper article from Newspaperarchive.com