What happened
During a scheduled cargo transport from Dnipropetrovsk to Moscow-Domodedovo Airport, an emergency was declared while the aircraft was cruising at 7,500 meters. The flight crew reported that the number one engine had ignited. Following this report, air traffic control authorized a descent and instructed the crew to divert the flight toward Kharkiv Airport.
As the aircraft began its descent, the intensity of the fire caused the left wing and the first engine to partially separate from the fuselage. This structural failure led to a total loss of control, causing the plane to pitch down into a vertical dive. The aircraft subsequently overturned and impacted an open field located approximately 6.5 kilometers west of Rakitnoye, roughly 31 kilometers south of Kharkiv Airport. The impact resulted in the total destruction of the aircraft and there were nine fatalities among the occupants.
Findings
Investigations into the accident determined that a rupture in a fuel line caused the number one engine to catch fire during the cruise phase of the flight.