Answers and Questions?
I think I might have some answers to some of the questions being raised, but then also some questions that need answering.
Everyone is asking why they held for 2 hours. From past experience flying similar routes, fuel if much more expensive in Russia and the Ex-Soviet Republics. Therefore we used to always tanker round trip fuel when we had such light passenger loads. Combine this with a fairly restrictive max duty period based on CAP-371 given the start of duty and the impact of a 3rd sector diversion would have had on the max duty time, might have meant night stopping. Therefore if the fuel was available it seemed rather sensible to just wait out the weather.
There is quite a lot of information online with detailed timelines on Avsafety net and even atc recordings on Avherald. Looking at that those bits of information, everything seemed to be flowing smoothly. This included the first go around. Why then would someone mess up a go around when you have just successfully completed it a short time previously.
My question would be why did they go-around? Windshear again? If so they would have followed a windshear escape maneuver instead of a standard go-around.
With only 55 passengers on board, where were they seated? Did the plane have an empty business class with most people and bags towards the rear of the aircraft?
Was there a flyaway kit onboard? If so was it in the forward cargo hold and properly lashed down?
Also what changed between the first approach and the second? Were they holding in icing conditions? If so what would have been the effect of heavy ice accumulation on the stabilizer?