RUSSIA: Flydubai B738 At Rostov

A Flydubai Boeing 737-800, registration A6-FDN performing flight FZ-981 from Dubai (United Arab Emirates) to Rostov on Don (Russia) with 55 passengers and 7 crew, had aborted the approach to Rostov's runway 22 at 01:41L (22:41Z) due to weather and entered a hold initially at 8000 feet, after 30 minutes at 8000 feet the aircraft climbed to FL150. After about 2 hours of holding the aircraft commenced another approach to Rostov's runway 22, winds from 240 degrees at 27 knots (14 m/s) gusting 42 knots (22 m/s), the crew announced a go around, the aircraft however impacted ground just off the runway at about 03:43L (00:43Z), broke up and burst into flames. There are no survivors.

The aircraft carried fuel for trip, contingency, alternate, final fuel reserve (30 minutes) and additional holding for about 2:30 hours, total fuel for an endurance of about 8.5 hours. The aircraft had been airborne until time of impact for 06:02 hours.

Russia's Ministry of Emergencies reported that more than 700 people and more than 100 vehicles have been deployed to the crash scene for search and recovery operations following the aircraft crash. The aircraft struck a wing onto the runway on touch down and began to disintegrate.

On Mar 20th 2016 the Ministry of Emergencies reported that search and recovery operations have been finished, there is still work in progress to support the investigation and subsequent removal of wreckage. All parts of the wreckage are still in place, none was moved.

On Mar 21st 2016 the Ministry of Emergencies reported, that the wreckage has been removed from the runway over night, the runway and infrastructure have been repaired, and first flights, in particular flights for the Ministry, landed on the runway without any anomalies in the morning of Mar 21st.

Russia's MAK (Interstate Aviation Committee, Accident Investigation Board) reported the aircraft broke up and burst into flames upon touching ground, debris is spread over a large area (several kilometers). An investigation has been opened. Both black boxes were recovered in good condition, work to read out the blackboxes has already started.

On Mar 20th 2016 the MAK reported both recorders received substantial mechanical damage, the memory modules are being removed from the recorders and are being prepared for read out, the preparatory work is expected to be finished by end of Mar 20th 2016. Late Mar 20th 2016 the MAK added, that the flight data recorder has been successfully read out and contains the data in good quality until impact of the aircraft, works to analyse the data have already started. The cockpit voice recorder memory module has received mechanical damage requiring repairs, checks of whether the non-volatile memory is still readable are going to commence after the repairs.

In the evening of Mar 21st 2016 the MAK reported that the repairs were successful and the cockpit voice recorder has been read out and contains good quality recordings until impact. The recording is now being transcribed and analysed.

On Mar 29th 2016 the MAK condemned all "leaked" information reported by Russian media as false and stated, that no information whatsoever has been leaked from the investigation. About one hour of CVR has been transcribed so far including the crew communication in the final stages of the flight. Mechanical reconstruction as well as preliminary analysis of the flight data recorder so far do not suggest any malfunction of the engines of the aircraft and no failures of aircraft systems or components, the aircraft had all necessary documentation and certificates of airworthiness, passed all required maintenance and was airworthy at the time of departure. The MAK is now undertaking mathematical modelling of the aircraft's flight trajectory in combination with the sounds available on the CVR. The identification of wreckage pieces and mechanical reconstruction of the aircraft continues.

On Apr 5th 2016 Russia's Ministry of Transport reported that on first approach to runway 22 the aircraft went around, the crew reported a wind shear on final approach, climbed to FL050 then FL080 and entered a hold to wait for improvement of weather. The crew subsequently requested and was cleared to FL150 in the hold. When air traffic control provided information that the visibility was 5000 meters, cloud ceiling at 630 meters/2000 feet, winds from 230 degrees at 13m/s gusting 18m/s (25 knots gusting 35 knots), no wind shear, the crew requested another approach clearance. On final approach at about 220 meters/720 feet the crew went around again and climbed, at 900 meters/3000 feet the stabilizer moved nose down causing the aircraft to stop climbing at about 1000 meters/3330 feet and entering a descent. The aircraft impacted ground about 120 meters from the runway threshold. Preliminary examination results of flight data and cockpit voice recorder do not reveal any evidence of a technical malfunction of engines or aircraft systems or any evidence of an explosion. The investigation is focussing on how the pitch control system works and crew actions during the go around. The captain (ATPL, 5,965 hours total, 2,597 hours on type) was certified for CATIIIa approaches.

On Apr 8th 2016 the MAK reported in Russian, that the actual weather conditions were as forecast and reported by the weather systems, all weather instruments were working normally. According to flight data recorder the first approach was performed in manual control in adverse weather conditions with winds from 230 degrees at 13m/s gusting 18m/s (25 knots gusting 35 knots), light rain, mist and light to moderate windshear.

At an altitude of 340 meters/1100 feet the crew initated a go around due to a sudden change of direction and strength of wind and entered a hold to wait for improvement of weather conditions. The second approach was also flown in manual control, at a height of 220 meters/720 feet about 4km/2.2nm from the runway threshold the crew initiated a go around again selecting TOGA on the engines.

At an altitude of 900 meters/2950 feet there were simultaneous actions, the crew returned the flight controls to neutral and the pitch trim moved 5 degrees nose down causing a rapid nose down movement of the aircraft resulting in -1G of vertical acceleration. The subsequent crew actions did not permit to pull the aircraft out of the resulting nose dive, the aircraft impacted ground at a speed of about 600kph/325 knots with the nose more than 50 degrees below the horizon.

The MAK has completed on site work and selection of debris/units for examination of the performance of the longitudinal control system (pitch control). The MAK is further looking into the performance of the flight crew and training of the flight crew, according to documentation forwarded by UAE's GCAA the pilots were properly trained, had sufficient experience and were in possession of all needed certificates. The MAK is still in the process of analysing, transcribing and translating the onboard cockpit voice recorder.

In the MAK's English version of the update of Apr 8th 2016 two differences are being noted: the simultaneous actions were a nose down input by the crew and a trim 5 degrees nose down, and the transcription of the voice recorder is said to be complete, clarification of content as well as translation and identification of speakers ongoing only.

The NTSB announced on Mar 19th 2016, that they are going to assist the MAK in the investigation.

On Mar 19th 2016 Boeing announced to assist the MAK's investigation as technical advisors.

The airline confirmed the aircraft crashed on landing in Rostov, there were no survivors. In a press conference the chairman added, that the captain had 5,900 hours of flying experience, the first officer 5,700 hours. Flydubai have dispatched an emergency response team to Rostov to assist families and to assist the investigation.

Radar data suggest the aircraft on final approach was to the left of the localizer and just to the left of the left runway edge and corrected to the right while over the runway bringing the aircraft just within the runway edges moments before ground contact.