What happened
During descent toward Novosibirsk Airport, the flight crew faced deteriorating meteorological conditions characterized by thunderstorms, low cloud cover, reduced visibility, hail, and turbulence. As the aircraft progressed down the approach path, a lightning bolt struck the cockpit area. This impact resulted in serious injuries to the copilot and the flight engineer, both of whom lost consciousness. The unconscious copilot fell forward onto the control column, forcing the captain to attempt manual directional control. Despite these efforts, the aircraft entered a steep right bank of 65 degrees before diving into the terrain. The plane impacted a field located 12 km from the airport boundary, breaking apart and catching fire. All 25 occupants on board perished in the impact and subsequent post-crash fire.
Findings
The investigation identified the primary cause of the loss of control as adverse weather conditions associated with a violent storm involving hail and turbulence. A critical contributing factor was the lightning strike that incapacitated two key crew members, severely limiting their ability to manage the aircraft. While the flight crew was criticized for initiating the approach in such hazardous conditions, investigators noted that they had not received adequate meteorological briefings. The final determination attributed the accident to a combination of unexpected weather, flawed decision-making by the flying crew, poor management within the air traffic control service, inadequate inter-departmental communication, and difficulties with radio contacts.