What happened
At 14:21 local time, a twin-engine aircraft departed from runway 14R at Moscow-Domodedovo Airport. Approximately six minutes into the flight, while the aircraft was climbing through 6,000 feet amidst light snow, it began a descent. One minute later, the plane struck a snow-covered field in Argunovo, situated roughly 37 km southeast of the airport. The impact resulted in the total destruction of the aircraft, with debris spreading across a distance of more than one kilometer. There were 71 fatalities and no survivors.
Flight data recorders from the wreckage have been retrieved by investigators. Initial assessments by Russian authorities indicate that the airframe remained intact until it made contact with the ground. Data suggests that three minutes after takeoff, the aircraft's airspeed indicators began showing fluctuations. Following the disconnection of the autopilot, the aircraft experienced vertical loads ranging from 0.5 to 1.5 G, followed by a nose-down pitch to 35 degrees. Shortly before the crash, the plane entered a 25-degree right bank.
Findings
Preliminary investigations suggest that the discrepancies in the airspeed indicator readings were the result of pitot tube icing. This icing occurred because the pitot heating systems were not operational, which appears to have been due to the crew's failure to activate the heating elements.