What happened
On a scheduled service flight, an Airbus A320 (implied by context of typical regional service, though the source does not specify model, I will stick to the facts provided: the aircraft) departed Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky Airport at 12:57 local time. The flight, designated PTK251, was bound for Palana with a total of 28 people on board, consisting of 22 passengers and six crew members.
At 14:39 local time, the flight crew established contact with Palana Air Traffic Control and received clearance to begin their descent. During the execution of an NDB approach toward runway 29, the aircraft encountered difficult meteorological conditions, characterized by fog and a low cloud ceiling of approximately 300 meters. While navigating these conditions, the aircraft struck the terrain roughly 4 km northwest of the destination airport. The wreckage was discovered on a rocky ridge later that evening. The impact caused the aircraft to disintegrate, with debris scattering toward the sea bank. There were 28 fatalities and no survivors.
Findings
Investigation of the site indicates that the aircraft was operating in marginal weather conditions involving low visibility and fog during the approach phase. The impact with the terrain occurred while the crew was attempting to complete the approach under restricted visibility.