What happened
On a flight departing Krasnodar Airport at 15:05 local time, an aircraft carrying two passengers and six crew members was en route to Sochi. The flight was also transporting 1,007 kilograms of mail. After approximately twenty-one minutes into the journey, the flight crew received authorization to perform a visual descent, first to 1,800 meters and subsequently down to 600 meters.
While maintaining an altitude of 900 meters near Tuapse, the aircraft encountered cloud cover and was hit by lightning. This impact caused the plane to lose control and descend into the Black Sea. The wreckage impacted the water approximately two kilometers from a Soviet Ministry of Internal Affairs rest house located in the Tuapse region. Upon hitting the surface, the aircraft broke apart and settled at a depth of 55 meters. Search efforts recovered some debris several weeks later, but it was confirmed that there were zero survivors among the eight people on board.
Findings
Investigations concluded that the primary cause of the accident was a lightning strike occurring within an area of thunderstorm activity. The bolt specifically hit the left rear fuel tank, triggering an explosion when it came into contact with fuel vapors. Additionally, it was noted that the crew had not been notified regarding the presence of thunderstorms or lightning in the vicinity of Tuapse.