Accident Overview
On a night departure from Kuopio Airport, the aircraft experienced a right engine failure during climb. The captain decided to return to the airport for an emergency landing and initiated a left turn. During the turn, the aircraft lost altitude and crashed into Juurusvesi Lake, approximately one kilometer from the airport. The aircraft was completely destroyed, and all 15 occupants perished.
Occupants
The crew consisted of pilot 1st Lt Kari Halmetoja, copilot M/Sgt Seppo Raninen, and flight engineer Sgtm Heikki Mannila. The passengers included Risto K. Alanko, Kirsti Hollming, Aaro Kenttä, Pekka Lahdensuu, Olavi Majlander, Arto Merisaari, Antti Pohjonen, Kari Sinisalo, Viljo Särkkä, Olli Varho, Col Aarno Hukari, and Lt Col Tapio Kokkonen. The group comprised politicians and businessmen returning to Helsinki after attending a National Defence Course meeting organized by the Finnish Defence Forces.
Probable Cause
Official investigation determined that the right engine failed due to the failure of the 5th cylinder, which resulted from fatigue cracks that could not be detected during the most recent maintenance check.