What happened
On the evening of the accident, an aircraft departed from Makhachkala Airport at 18:29 local time. During the initial climb over the sea, the pilot notified air traffic control regarding unexpected cloud cover that had not been included in the pre-flight weather briefing. Shortly after this communication, while the flight was climbing toward a cleared altitude of 2,100 meters, the aircraft experienced a sudden nose-down movement and plummeted into the ocean approximately 3.5 km from the shore.
The wreckage was located at a depth of 10 meters. The accident resulted in 17 fatalities, with no survivors reported among the occupants.
Findings
Investigations concluded that the crash occurred while the aircraft was at an altitude of approximately 400 meters. The primary cause of the accident was a collision with a flock of migratory birds. This impact caused the windshield to shatter immediately, leading to the loss of control and the deaths of both pilots.