What happened
During a flight traveling from Moscow-Vnukovo Airport toward Sochi-Adler Airport, the aircraft was cruising at an altitude of 6,100 meters when a malfunction occurred in the generator of the third engine. This mechanical failure resulted in debris puncturing a hydraulic line. As the hydraulic fluid escaped, it came into contact with high-temperature components of the engine, triggering a fire.
Because the onboard fire extinguishing system did not function as intended to suppress the flames, the crew was forced to take emergency measures. To manage the situation, the flight crew shut down the remaining three engines. The aircraft subsequently performed a gear-up landing in an open field. Following the impact, the plane slid across the terrain for several yards before coming to a complete stop. Despite the severity of the incident, all 97 occupants were successfully evacuated from the aircraft type without injury.
Findings
Investigations into the accident identified that the primary sequence began with the failure of the generator on engine number three. This specific component failure was the catalyst for the debris that breached the hydraulic system. Additionally, it was determined that the failure of the fire extinguishing system prevented the crew from controlling the resulting fire, necessitating the total engine shutdown and the subsequent emergency landing.