An Antonov AN-12 Freighter, operating for the Ukraine Air Alliance, has crashed whilst on approach to Lviv-Danylo Halytskyi International Airport, leaving multiple dead.
The aircraft, registered UR-CAH, was performing flight UKL4050 from Vigo, Spain to Liviv, Ukraine with seven crew members and one passenger when the accident occurred.
According to The Aviation Herald, the aircraft was around 7.4 nautical miles from Lviv when air traffic controllers lost contact with the aircraft. Emergency services were dispatched and located the crashed AN-12 0.8 nautical miles from runway 31.
Photos show the aircraft broken up on soil and nestled in vegetation. The Aviation Herald indicates a cemetary and a soccer field are within proximity of the crash site.
During the search and rescue efforts it was noticed that the cockpit had been torn off and the cargo had shifted, subsequently crushing the occupants to death.
Reports detail the crew were attempting to make an emergency landing, after exhausting their fuel supply. Five occupants were killed upon impact and the remaining three were immediately taken to hospital with varying injuries.
With no fuel remaining on board, no post-crash fire was sparked; this has left the badly damaged aircraft in a good state for authorities to assess.
Weather data on approach during the time of the accident shows there was fog, with a visibility of 800 meters and a vertical visibility of 200 meters.
For those interested in the METAR data:
- UKLL 040430Z 28001MPS 0800 0500S R31/0900N FG VV002 04/04 Q1013 R31/CLRD// NOSIG=
- UKLL 040400Z 00000MPS 0300 0200NW R31/0650D FG VV002 03/03 Q1013 R31/CLRD// TEMPO 0400 FG VV002=
The Aviation Safety Network shows the aircraft as having serial number 8345604 and was built in 1968.
This post will be updated as more information becomes available.
