What happened
A cargo operation traveling from Tashkent to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, which included scheduled stops in Fergana, Novosibirsk, Krasnoyarsk, and Irkutsk, was carrying a payload of 10,475 kilograms of grapes. During the segment between Krasnoyarsk and Irkutsk, the flight crew received reports regarding unfavorable weather at their intended destination. Consequently, the decision was made to divert the flight to Ulan Ude, despite the fact that this airport was not equipped to handle this specific aircraft type.
While performing an approach from the north under marginal visibility conditions, the aircraft reached an altitude of 1,200 meters before impacting a forested mountain slope. The impact occurred approximately 32 km north of the Ulan Ude airfield. The collision resulted in the total destruction of the plane and eight fatalities, with no survivors among the occupants.
Findings
Investigations into the accident determined that the crash was a controlled flight into terrain. This was primarily driven by the crew applying an incorrect QNH pressure setting during the approach phase. Additional contributing elements identified in the investigation included insufficient visibility and inadequate flight preparation prior to the diversion attempt.