Russian Defense Mnst Ilyushin IL-18 plane crash

The Russian Air Force Ilyushin Il-18 was approaching Batumi, Georgia, in an area affected by heavy rain and thunderstorms. The crew advised air traffic control that it intended to alter the flight path to avoid the most active weather cells.

During the approach, the aircraft struck mountainous terrain several miles from the airport. The aircraft was destroyed and all occupants were killed. Historical sources do not all agree on the exact number of people on board, and that figure should be checked before publication.

Investigation findings

We did not locate a publicly accessible official Russian or Georgian final report from which an established cause could be quoted. The adverse weather, the route deviation and the proximity of terrain are important elements of the sequence, but it would be imprudent to turn them into a definitive causal conclusion without the investigation report.