Incident Overview
On the day of the accident, a training mission departed from Kiev-Zhuliany Airport at 0936 local time. The crew comprised two pilots and three instructors. The planned route included Byshev, Borodyanka, and a return to Zhuliany. While cruising west of Kiev at an altitude of 1,000 meters in good weather, the aircraft went out of control. Several pieces detached, and the aircraft entered a dive.
The Accident Sequence
At a height of 50 meters, three crew members bailed out. The aircraft then crashed at an angle of descent between 35 and 40 degrees into a field in Gorbovichi, approximately 24 kilometers west of Kiev. The impact destroyed the aircraft, scattering debris over a large area. All five crew members were killed. The three individuals who bailed out also died because the distance to the ground was insufficient.
Investigation Findings
The official investigation determined that the loss of control resulted from failure of the wings' structure and several other fuselage parts. These failures were attributed to a faulty aircraft design and unacceptable manufacturing defects.