Accident
While conducting a night approach to Saratov-Tsentralny Airport, the crew encountered poor weather conditions including fog, clouds from 100 to 1,000 meters, and icing conditions. At an altitude of 400 meters with flaps and landing gear retracted, the aircraft nosed down to an angle of 7–9 degrees and then rolled to the right. It descended with a high vertical speed and crashed in flames approximately 13 kilometers from the runway threshold. The aircraft disintegrated upon impact, and the wreckage was located 1,300 meters to the right of the approach path. All 57 occupants on board were killed.
Investigation
Investigators determined that the aircraft had been flying in icing conditions for a period of 3 minutes and 50 seconds, resulting in an accumulation of 15 millimeters of ice on the fuselage and wings. The reason why the flaps were not deployed could not be determined.
Probable Cause
The aircraft was approaching at an estimated speed of 240–260 km/h with flaps retracted when it rolled to the right and started an uncontrolled descent with a high vertical speed. It is believed that the loss of control was probably caused by an excessive accumulation of ice on the fuselage and wings, which adversely modified the aerodynamic characteristics of the aircraft.