Accident Details
A cargo aircraft departed on a flight from Chersky to Zyrianka, carrying two loadmasters and five crew members. The cargo consisted of eight wooden copper coils. During the takeoff roll, at a speed of 200 km/h, the pilot-in-command initiated rotation even though the calculated rotation speed was 215 km/h. The aircraft lifted off and climbed to an altitude of 150 meters, at which point it entered a stall. The aircraft then turned to the right and crashed into a hotel located near the airport. A post-crash fire ensued, completely destroying both the aircraft and the hotel. All seven occupants were killed; no one on the ground was injured.
Investigation
Investigators determined that the stall and subsequent loss of control during initial climb resulted from a shift in the cargo. The wooden copper coils had not been properly installed and secured in the cabin; they were fixed only with the onboard winch cable. At liftoff, the coils moved to the rear of the cabin, causing the aircraft's center of gravity to be outside the permissible envelope. This rendered the aircraft uncontrollable. The investigation further revealed that the loadmasters failed to install and secure the wooden copper coils according to published procedures and did not use appropriate equipment such as nets or belts. Additionally, the copilot exercised unsatisfactory supervision of the loading process, and the captain decided to take off despite knowing that the load was improperly secured.
Probable Cause
The official probable cause is that the stall and subsequent loss of control during initial climb was caused by the cargo shifting. The wooden copper coils were not properly installed and secured, leading to a center of gravity excursion that made the aircraft uncontrollable.