What happened
Following departure from Kharkiv, the flight crew notified air traffic control that the left engine had ignited. In response to the emergency, the aircraft was authorized to divert to the Sokolnikovo Airfield, also known as Factory #135, located in the vicinity of Kharkiv.
During the approach to the airfield, a secondary event occurred when the left engine underwent an explosion. Faced with this critical failure, the captain initiated an emergency landing procedure, targeting an open wasteland area near the airport. The aircraft performed a belly landing, sliding for several dozen meters across the terrain before the vehicle came to a halt amidst active flames.
Despite the intensity of the fire, which caused partial destruction to the airframe, all seven occupants successfully evacuated the wreckage. There were zero fatalities and no injuries were reported among the crew or passengers.
Findings
Investigation into the incident determined that the primary driver of the emergency was a rupture in a fuel line. This failure allowed fuel to escape into the engine compartment, where it subsequently ignited upon contact with high-temperature components, leading to both the initial fire and the later explosion.