What happened
On the afternoon of the accident, an aircraft departed from Dnepropetrovsk Airport at 15:47 local time. The crew was initially instructed to climb to a target altitude of 5,100 meters. At 15:58 local time, the flight crew reported that they were still in the process of climbing and had reached an altitude of 3,600 meters.
While the aircraft was maintaining an altitude of approximately 4,000 meters, a significant mechanical failure occurred. The number two propeller blade on the left engine detached from the engine assembly. During this separation, the blade struck the fuselage of the plane, which resulted in the severing of both the aileron and elevator control cables.
Following the destruction of these control lines, the crew lost all ability to maneuver the aircraft. The plane entered a steep descent, striking the ground at an estimated speed between 500 and 550 km/h. The impact occurred at a nose-down angle of approximately 45 to 50 degrees. The accident resulted in 55 fatalities, with no survivors reported.
Findings
Investigations into the wreckage determined that the primary reason for the loss of control was the detachment of the second propeller blade on the left engine. This event directly caused the destruction of the essential control cables. The underlying cause for the blade separation was identified as a fatigue fracture resulting from corrosion.