Accident Description
The aircraft was completing a flight from Engels AFB to Privolzhskiy AFB, near Astrakhan, with six crew members on board. About 40 minutes into the flight, while cruising at the assigned altitude of 4,800 metres, both engines No. 2 and No. 4 failed simultaneously. The crew initiated an emergency descent after receiving clearance to divert to Volgograd-Gumrak Airport. During the descent, at an altitude of approximately 1,700 metres, engine No. 1 also failed. The crew attempted an emergency landing, but the aircraft collided with trees and crashed, bursting into flames. All six crew members were killed.
Probable Cause
The official investigation determined that a short circuit in the DC power distribution network caused the destruction of the wire insulation of the automatic prop feathering controls, resulting in three of the four engines failing.