Accident Details
During the takeoff run at a speed of 250 km/h, the crew initiated rotation. The aircraft did not lift off. The captain decided to abandon the takeoff and began emergency braking. The aircraft veered to the right of the runway, traversed snow-covered terrain, and lost its nose gear and right main landing gear. It came to rest 490 meters beyond the point where it departed the runway, with the right wing bent. The aircraft was assessed as damaged beyond repair. All eight occupants were unhurt.
Probable Cause
According to the official investigation, the accident occurred as a result of the aircraft exiting the side of the runway after the commander rejected the takeoff because the elevator could not be used due to the yoke being locked. The roll beyond the runway edge was likely caused by the flight engineer attempting to operate the handle to release the flight controls lock while the aircraft was already accelerating. The investigation identified a combination of contributing factors:
- Violation of Flight Crew Operating Manual (FCOM) requirements to verify that flight controls were free and usable before engine start.
- Failure by the crew to execute checklists to ensure elevator, rudder, and ailerons were free to move before takeoff.
- Insufficient practice of flight crews in real flight to maintain skills acquired during simulator training in managing the aircraft and its systems, which negatively impacted performance during an emergency.
The accident was caused by this combination of factors.