What happened
During a night departure from Kuopio Airport, an MD-1 aircraft experienced a malfunction in its right engine while in the climbing phase. Following the loss of power, the pilot decided to abort the flight and return to the airfield for an emergency landing. During the execution of a left-hand turn intended to reposition the plane for approach, the aircraft lost altitude and impacted the surface of Juurusvesi Lake, approximately one kilometer from the runway. The impact resulted in the total destruction of the airframe.
There were 15 fatalities among the occupants of the flight. The passengers included several prominent figures, including business leaders and politicians, who were traveling to Helsinki following a National Defence Course meeting hosted by the Finnish Defence Forces. The flight crew consisted of a pilot, a co-pilot, and a flight engineer.
Findings
Investigations into the accident determined that the primary reason for the crash was the failure of the fifth cylinder within the right engine. This mechanical failure was caused by fatigue cracks that had remained undetected during the most recent scheduled maintenance inspection.