What happened
During a flight originating from Tselinograd, the crew attempted to land at Stepnogorsk Airfield, which features a 1,305-meter unpaved grass runway. During the final stages of the approach, the aircraft was flying at an excessive speed of approximately 240 km/h, exceeding the recommended range of 210-220 km/h, and maintained too much altitude above the runway threshold. Due to this improper configuration, the aircraft touched down roughly 893 meters past the start of the runway.
As the runway length was nearly exhausted, the crew initiated braking maneuvers only about 300 meters before the end of the strip. The aircraft failed to stop within the available distance and overran the runway at 88 km/h, eventually colliding with a 1.2-meter-high concrete pillar located at the perimeter fence. Following the impact, the pilot attempted to maneuver the aircraft toward the main apron by applying engine power, despite encountering ditches and holes in the terrain. This action caused the propellers to detach from the engines. While the aircraft sustained severe damage and was subsequently declared a total loss, all 52 occupants managed to evacuate the plane without injury.
Findings
Investigations into the incident identified that the crew utilized an incorrect approach configuration. The primary contributing factor was the decision to continue the final approach while flying too high and at speeds exceeding the target parameters. Additionally, the crew's failure to execute a go-around procedure when the approach became unstable contributed to the runway excursion.