Narrative:The BAe-125-800B corporate jet sustained substantial damage when it impacted trees while on approach to Neryungri Airport (NER), Russia. There were no injuries among the five passengers and three crew members.
The aircraft operated on a flight from Krasnodar to Neryungri with an en route stop at Tyumen. The night time approach was conducted with a visibility of 10+ km. Wind was from 350° at 2 m/s. There were broken clouds at 190 m and overcast with cumulonimbus clouds at 510 m. Temperature and dew point were both +4°C. QFE pressure was 685 mm Hg (913 hPa).
During the descent the air traffic controller informed the crew that QFE (field elevation) pressure was 685 mm Hg and QNH (sea level) pressure was 1012 hPa.
The flight crew radioed: "I confirm 685, [...] is 1012 hectopascals, do we understand it correctly?" To which the controller replied "...QNH 1012, for information the height of the threshold is 08, 857 meters."
This was misunderstood by the flight crew. They did not convert the pressure at the runway level of 685 mm Hg to hectopascals (685 mm Hg corresponds to 913 hPa), but instead set the pressure at 1012 hPa on the altimeters and continued the descent.
At 23:13:33 hours the EGPWS sounded: "Sink rate", followed a second later by "Caution terrain!" At 23:13:36 hours the EGWS again sounded: "PULL UP".
At 23:13:53 hours, at a distance of 18 km from the threshold of runway 08, the aircraft impacted trees. The flight crew managed to regain height and performed a safe landing at Neryungri Airport. A post-flight inspection revealed damage to the wing leading edges and winglets, dents on the no.2 engine cowling, dents to the flaps and right hand horizontal stabilizer.
Probable Cause:
Contributing factors (Translated from Russian):
- Insufficient preparation of the crew for the flight, expressed in the fact that the crew did not have the Neryungri airfield (Chulman) ATIS frequency and had a lack of knowledge of the AIP requirements about the additional request to the ATC controller to obtain aerodrome pressure in hectopascals. There were no reference data on the Neryungri airfield (Chulman) in the airlines Operations Manual;
- Inattention of the crew in interpreting the QNH and QFE pressures transmitted by the controller to the aircraft;
- The Standard Operating Procedures for the Air Traffic Controllers of the Neryungri Air Traffic Service Centre did not contain specific instructions for the adjustment of the Complex of the Automatic Air Traffic Control System "Alpha"
- The Standard Operating Procedures of the Neryungri (Chulman) airport control tower did not contain control procedures for the assigned flight altitude on the descent and approach of the aircraft.
Accident investigation:
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Investigating agency: | MAK  |
Status: | Investigation completed |
Duration: | 1 year and 8 months | Accident number: | Final report | Download report: | Final report
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Classification:
Wrong altimeter setting
Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT) - Ground
Sources:
» MAK
» Ministry of Transport RF
Photos

accident date:
05-06-2016type: BAe-125-800B
registration: RA-02773

accident date:
05-06-2016type: BAe-125-800B
registration: RA-02773

accident date:
05-06-2016type: BAe-125-800B
registration: RA-02773

accident date:
05-06-2016type: BAe-125-800B
registration: RA-02773

accident date:
05-06-2016type: BAe-125-800B
registration: RA-02773
Map
This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line between the airports does
not display the exact flight path.
Distance from Tyumen-Roschino International Airport to Neryungri/Chulman Airport as the crow flies is 3457 km (2160 miles).
Accident location: Approximate; accuracy within a few kilometers.
This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.