What happened
A local test flight departed from Moscow-Vnukovo at 15:35 local time, carrying a crew of eight consisting of pilots and engineers. Shortly after takeoff, the crew experienced a loss of orientation caused by adverse weather conditions, which included a ceiling of approximately 100 meters and visibility between 2 and 4 km. Despite these conditions, the flight proceeded over the capital for several hours to complete its scheduled test program.
During the mission, meteorological conditions deteriorated further, with rain and fog reducing visibility to 400 meters. While attempting a night approach to runway 24, the aircraft was not properly aligned with the runway, prompting the pilot in command to initiate a go-around. During a subsequent attempt to land, the aircraft descended too low and struck trees approximately 1,275 meters before reaching runway 24. The impact caused the aircraft to stall and crash, resulting in the total destruction of the airframe. All eight occupants sustained serious injuries; however, the captain, co-pilot, and flight engineer later succumbed to their wounds.
Findings
Investigations revealed that the crew elected to proceed with the test flight despite weather conditions being below established minimums. A significant contributing factor was a malfunctioning direction finder that was out of service at the start of the flight, which led to the loss of orientation following departure. Additional findings included:
- Violations of operator procedures by the flying crew
- A lack of discipline among the crew members
- Failure to adhere to published navigation rules
- The decision to conduct a test flight in weather below minimums