Accident
An aircraft conducting a special mission for the Voyekova Geophysical Observatory crashed while approaching Bagdarin, resulting in the destruction of the aircraft and the death of all 11 occupants. The aircraft carried a crew of five and six passengers, including three employees of the observatory.
Mission and Flight
The flight was part of a thunderstorm observation mission. After successfully completing the mission, the crew initiated an approach to Bagdarin. Weather conditions at the time were poor, with low clouds and heavy rain.
Accident Sequence
While descending to an altitude of 600 meters in clouds, the aircraft struck tree tops, stalled, and crashed in flames on the slope of a mountain (827 meters high). The impact site was approximately 28 km from Bagdarin Airport. The aircraft was totally destroyed by impact and fire.
Probable Cause
The official investigation determined that the probable cause of the accident was poor approach planning by the crew, who failed to follow approved procedures and adopted a wrong approach configuration. This caused the aircraft to descend to an unsafe altitude over mountainous terrain in poor weather conditions. Contributing factors were the lack of visibility due to clouds and rain, and poor ATC assistance.