What happened
During a cruise at an altitude of 6,000 metres, the aircraft experienced a catastrophic structural failure that caused the tail section to detach from the fuselage. Following this separation, the aircraft entered an uncontrolled descent, eventually crashing into a forested region situated approximately one kilometre from Cherkessk. The impact resulted in the total destruction of the aircraft. There were 50 fatalities among the occupants, with no survivors reported.
Post-crash investigations located the detached tail section roughly 1,600 metres away from the primary wreckage site.
Findings
Investigations into the wreckage revealed that the separation of the tail was caused by corrosion. This degradation was linked to the aircraft's previous operational history in high-humidity environments, specifically during its service in Zimbabwe and the DRC between 15 August 1994 and 28 December 1995.