August 29, 1996
Spitsbergen, Norway
Vnokovo Airlines, Flight 2801
Tupolev TU-154M
RA-85621

The aircraft crashed 7 nm short of the runway into Operafjellet mountain at an altitude of 950 meters while attempting to land in poor weather. The crew did not use the usual approach which includes a turn over the ocean, but rather took a route that led through a narrow valley. Inadequate planning, unsatisfactory crew resource management and monitoring, not discontinuing the approach when procedural uncertainties existed, limited knowledge of the operating language and the actual airspace.  All 141 aboard were killed.

CACA = Voice identified as Pilot-in-Command (CA)
F/OF/O = Voice identified as Co-Pilot (SIC)
F/EF/E = Voice identified as Flight engineer
NAV NAV = Voice identified as NAVigator
???? = Voice unidentified
AFIS = Longyearbyen AFIS
TRAF TRAF = Radio transmission from Longyearbyen

8:16:55 NAV No, seven miles here.
8:16:56 NAV I'll adjust it.
8:17:05 F/O Where are we --- ? --- (ind.).
8:17:06 NAV Meanwhile, keep it like that!
8:17:08 CA Did you notice the place?
8:17:09 NAV Abeam the turning point.
8:17:14 CA A corrective turn will be (?necessary).
8:17:16 ?? We're approaching.
8:17:21 CA Now we will be (?the flaps) (ind.)
8:17:40 AFIS VKO 2801 give me a call eight miles inbound.
8:17:43   Radio altimeter warning, duration 6 seconds.
8:17:44 NAV Call you back ten miles inbound, 2801.
8:17:55 AFIS VKO 2801, give me a call eight miles inbound.
8:17:57 F/E Eight miles (In the English language).
8:17:57 NAV Ah - abeam eight miles 2801 inbound - -
8:17:59 AFIS Correct.
8:18:05 ?? Four marks (ind.).
8:18:08 CA But here it's already three.
8:18:14 ?? There's no need to --- here!
8:18:16   Radio altimeter warning, duration 2 seconds.
8:18:17 ?? --- to descend.
8:18:19 F/O The flag disappeared on my instrument!
8:18:21   Radio altimeter warning, duration 6 seconds.
8:18:25 AFIS LPP, Longyear roger, we have a traffic inbound Tupolev, suppose he will be passing 8 miles east in a few minutes.
8:18:28 CA I'm turning just a little bit to the left.
8:18:32 F/O Set it straight.
8:18:37 CA 15.
8:18:39 CA Borya, have we got it?
8:18:41 TRAF LPP, roger.
8:18:45 ?? Set it!
8:18:47 ?? How many?
8:18:50 ?? (?Switching off) (?Switching on).
8:18:51 ?? Switched off.
8:18:52 CA What should I hold?
8:18:59 CA OK, leave it!
8:19:03 ?? So, what might the recommendations be?
8:19:04 CA So.
8:19:06 F/O Maybe we took the fourth (final turn) too early?
8:19:11 CA Let's level out!
8:19:14 CA No, (?it should be) to the right.
8:19:16 NAV Just we'll get it, just now!
8:19:18 NAV Is the mark (marker?) to the right?
8:19:19 F/O No, it is still staying.
8:19:19 CA To the right!
8:19:20 CA Let's turn to the right
8:19:21   Radio altimeter warning, duration 6 seconds
8:19:21 CA Give me the approach chart Borya.
8:19:22 F/O Should we descend here?
8:19:24 CA We shall descend!
8:19:30 F/O Should we approach?
8:19:32 CA Let's 'dive'!
8:19:34 CA What (?course) did you keep (?now), (?what did you keep?).
8:19:36 NAV Three hundred degrees.
8:19:36 TRAF LPP, now crossed centerline and we will stay east of shoreline.
  AFIS PP, Longyear, say again.
  TRAF We have crossed center line and will stay north and east of shoreline, landing on the apron.
8:19:51 NAV But it's fourteen here!
8:19:52 CA OK.
8:19:54 AFIS LPP, sorry about that. Did not F/Oy, could you say again?
8:19:54 CA So, fix it!
8:19:59 NAV Five metres.
8:20:03 TRAF LPP, be landing on the apron.
8:20:03 NAV So, I'll keep about 320deg! OK?
8:20:04 AFIS LPP, Longyear, roger. Wind is 230/17 and give me a call passing extended centerline.
8:20:14 TRAF LPP, will call you right downwind out of the apron.
8:20:14 F/O Isn't that too little?
8:20:15 NAV It should be a corrective turn.
8:20:16 AFIS PP, Longyear roger, thank you.
8:20:17 CA No! Turn to the left!
8:20:21 NAV It's thirteen. Lets descend!
8:20:24 F/O To the left!
8:20:24 NAV Three degrees and five minutes. We're on the glide path.
8:20:29 F/O We're on landing course now, correct?
8:20:33 CA To get the landing course, make a slight correction to the left!
8:20:41 NAV Three hundred and thirteen. Let's descend!
8:20:44 F/O What about the flaps?
8:20:52 F/O 28?
8:20:57 ?? (?Keep)... (ind.) 5 metres.
8:20:58 NAV (ind.) 2 - 3 miles.
8:21:00 CA You guide us, you guide us!
8:21:00 NAV We're flying by Jeppesen
8:21:02 NAV (ind.).
8:21:02 CA Igor, set Advent for me.
8:21:05 ?? (ind.).
8:21:08 NAV Not now. Later on!
8:21:09 ?? Well, (? now) it's three hundred --- meters (just now)
8:21:14 ?? No
8:21:15 NAV I've told you there is no need.
8:21:19 ?? To the right.
8:21:22 CA What is our radial?
8:21:24 NAV Let's follow the approach chart to the end!
8:21:25 TRAF LPP, landed 21.
8:21:29 ?? So, --- (ind.).
8:21:31 ?? We will be landing, will we not?
8:21:32 CA Well, that is OK.
8:21:33 CA 300deg
8:21:35 F/O 300deg so far! Is it OK?
8:21:36 NAV Flying through 1150. lt's too high, we have to descend.
8:21:41 CA We have to descend.
8:21:43 CA So.
8:21:47 F/O How are we approaching? Is it correct or not?
8:21:49 F/O Landing gears?
8:21:51 ?? The landing gears may be extended.
8:21:55 ?? To the right here.
8:22:05 ?? To the left.
8:22:07 F/O So. How are we going for altitude?
8:22:09 NAV Three hundred, five metres. Descending!
8:22:13 F/O That's about five metres, is it not?
8:22:17   Radio altimeter warning, duration 6 seconds.
8:22:22 CA Horizon!
8:22:23 F/O Mountains!!!
8:22:23   Sound effect of impact with ground against background of radio altimeter warning signal.
8:22:25 AFIS VKO 2801 weather is wind from 231/17, visibility still more than 10 in rain, we have few at 900 feet and broken at 2000.
8:22:58 AFIS VKO 2801 did you F/Oy latest weather?

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