What happened
During a nighttime flight departing from Norilsk Airport destined for Vorkuta, the flight crew received notification from air traffic control that the intended destination was unavailable for landing. This restriction was due to adverse weather conditions and visibility levels falling below established minimums.
As a result of the weather, the flight was diverted to Sovetskiy Air Base, an airfield situated east of Vorkuta. During the approach to this secondary location, the aircraft encountered challenging crosswinds and low visibility. The aircraft type landed approximately 15 meters to the left of the snow-covered runway. Upon impact with the snow, the plane sustained severe damage and broke into two separate sections. There were zero fatalities among the five crew members on board, though all survived the incident. The aircraft was subsequently declared a total loss.
Findings
Investigations concluded that the accident occurred because the crew attempted an approach to an airfield with inadequate equipment while operating in weather conditions that were below the required visibility minimums.