What happened
During an approach to Shakhtersk Airport, the flight crew initiated a descent while operating in adverse meteorological conditions characterized by low cloud cover. While flying at an altitude of approximately 950 meters, the aircraft collided with the slope of Mt Krasnova, which reaches an elevation of 1,093 meters. The impact occurred roughly 53 km south of the destination airport.
The collision resulted in the total destruction of the airframe. There were no survivors among the 18 fatalities recorded on board the aircraft.
Findings
Investigation into the accident revealed that the crew began their descent significantly ahead of schedule, initiating the maneuver roughly 15 to 20 km earlier than required. This premature descent caused the flight path to fall below the Minimum Descent Altitude (MDA). Because of the heavy cloud cover present at the time, the crew was unable to visually identify the terrain, leading to the impact with the mountain slope.