What happened
A scheduled service flight departed Severomuysk Airport at 14:41 local time, destined for Ulan-Ude with an intended stop in Nizhneangarsk. The aircraft was carrying a total of 48 people, consisting of 44 passengers and four crew members. During the westbound cruise at an altitude of 3,600 meters, the flight crew received notification regarding adverse weather conditions at their planned intermediate destination.
Because Nizhneangarsk Airport was unavailable due to weather, air traffic control directed the aircraft to divert to Ust-Barguzin Airport, situated on the Svyatoi Nos peninsula along the eastern shore of Lake Baikal. While the aircraft was descending through 1,300 meters toward the diversion airport, it collided with a mountain slope approximately 30 km northwest of Ust-Barguzin. The impact caused the total destruction of the aircraft, and all 48 occupants were killed.
Findings
Investigations into the accident identified that the crew began their descent prematurely while operating under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) despite being in Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC). This deviation from established procedures was a critical factor in the accident.
Additional contributing elements included:
- Unforeseen wind conditions, specifically a wind component of 200 degrees at 25 km/h (which shifted to 250 degrees at 50 km/h), which caused the aircraft to drift from its intended flight path.
- A loss of situational awareness by air traffic control, as the crew failed to maintain regular radio contact.
- Technical discrepancies involving radiogoniometer settings, which prevented controllers from accurately determining the aircraft's position.
Ultimately, these factors led to a controlled flight into terrain.