Home › Opinion › What the South Airlines Flight 8971 findings said
What the South Airlines Flight 8971 findings said
Summary
Ukraine's air accident investigators concluded their inquiry into the 2013 Donetsk crash, pointing to pilot decisions in poor weather.
What did investigators finally conclude about South Airlines Flight 8971? On 29 October 2019, the National Bureau of Air Accidents Investigation of Ukraine completed its investigation and stated its finding: the accident was caused by the pilot's excessive speed reductions as he attempted to land in weather conditions beyond his qualifications.
The aircraft was an Antonov An-24 passenger plane. On 13 February 2013 it crashed on landing at Donetsk International Airport, killing 5 of the 52 people on board.
What the finding emphasises
The conclusion places the cause in two linked elements: the manner in which the pilot handled the aircraft's speed during the approach, and the mismatch between the weather and the pilot's qualifications. Excessive speed reductions are the specific handling error named. The weather is not described as the sole cause; the finding stresses that conditions exceeded what the pilot was qualified to handle.
For readers, the practical point is the question this raises about matching crews to conditions. The finding itself addresses the pilot's decision to attempt a landing under those circumstances, and it does not go beyond that.
A conclusion that arrived late
The bureau's statement came on 29 October 2019, years after the February 2013 crash that killed five people.
