All 62 aboard were killed when a Flydubai Boeing 737-800 crashed at Rostov-on-Don after a go-around following two failed landing attempts in poor weather.
Key Facts
- Flight number
- FZ981 / FDB981
- Aircraft type
- Boeing 737-800
- Total fatalities
- 62 people
- Date of crash
- 19 March 2016
- Holding pattern duration
- Nearly 2 hours before second attempt
- Route
- Dubai, UAE to Rostov-on-Don, Russia
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Flight 981 operated in poor nighttime weather conditions at Rostov-on-Don. After aborting its first landing attempt, the aircraft entered a holding pattern for nearly two hours. Weather conditions remained unfavorable when the crew attempted a second landing approach, which was also aborted, initiating a go-around procedure.
During the go-around following the second aborted landing attempt on 19 March 2016, the Boeing 737-800 climbed sharply and then descended rapidly, crashing onto the runway at Rostov-on-Don airport. All 62 passengers and crew members on board were killed in the impact.
The crash killed all 62 people on board, making it one of the deadliest aviation accidents in Russia in recent years. The incident prompted scrutiny of crew decision-making during prolonged holding patterns in adverse weather and raised questions about go-around procedures and pilot fatigue.