What happened
During a scheduled flight originating in Moscow with a final destination of Lublin, the crew encountered weather conditions below minimum operating standards while en route to Minsk. Low cloud cover and reduced visibility complicated navigation, causing the captain to lose situational awareness and miss the intended airport. Consequently, the pilot elected to divert to an abandoned airfield at Buylo, situated approximately 19 km east of Maladechna.
The approach was conducted at excessive speed, resulting in a hard bounce. After traveling 600 meters on the ground, the aircraft touched down again before deviating into a trench associated with an anti-aircraft artillery position. The airframe came to rest nose-down. In this incident, one passenger was killed, while eight other passengers sustained minor injuries. All five crew members escaped without harm.
Findings
Official investigations identified the primary contributing factor as the captain's decision-making process. The pilot opted to land at a disused facility despite operating in below-minima weather conditions, which was deemed an incorrect judgment call under the circumstances.