What happened
At 10:20 local time, an aircraft arrived in Kazalinsk to pick up passengers. Although the flight was already fully booked, the captain permitted an additional 12 people—consisting of 11 adults and one infant—to board the plane. In addition to the extra passengers, the flight was loaded with approximately 120 kilograms of cargo and another 120 kilograms of baggage.
During the takeoff phase, while the aircraft was ascending to an altitude of roughly 200 meters, it entered a high angle of attack which led to a tail stall. The plane became uncontrollable and struck the ground 65 meters to the left of the primary runway. The impact resulted in the total destruction of the aircraft.
Initially, the accident caused one fatality (a child) and 25 injuries. However, the death toll rose as two passengers died from their wounds a day later, followed by two more deaths several days after the event.
Findings
Investigations revealed that the captain's choice to board extra passengers violated established safety protocols. The total weight of the aircraft at departure was 6,484 kilograms, which exceeded the maximum takeoff weight by approximately 1,234 kilograms under the prevailing flight conditions. Furthermore, the center of gravity was positioned too far aft, outside of safe operational limits. This improper weight and balance caused the tail to stall during the climb. It was also noted that the additional passengers were not provided with safety belts.