What happened
A cargo operation traveling from Yakutsk to Batagay ended in an accident during the landing phase. The aircraft, carrying a crew of six, two passengers, and a payload of pipes weighing 11,350 kilograms, completed its approach under favorable conditions. The touchdown occurred approximately 74 meters beyond the runway threshold at a speed of 250 km/h.
As the aircraft decelerated over a distance of 105 meters, a loud noise was reported on the right side of the plane. During this period, the aircraft drifted toward the right side of the runway. At a velocity of 210 km/h, the fourth engine made contact with the ground. This led to a further excursion where the plane veered off the runway, collided with an earthen mound and several trees, and eventually spun around before catching fire. The wreckage came to rest 710 meters from the initial impact point, situated 30 meters right of the runway. All eight occupants managed to evacuate the aircraft without injury, though the plane was destroyed.
Findings
Investigations into the accident identified that the right main landing gear leg failed due to a suspected fatigue fracture. Several environmental and operational factors likely contributed to this structural failure, including the aircraft's frequent operation in extremely low temperatures and high-weight landings near its maximum tolerance. Additionally, the use of 25° flaps instead of the standard 35° configuration resulted in an approach speed roughly 20 km/h higher than normal. Precise landing data was difficult to reconstruct because the aircraft lacked modern flight data recording systems.