Incident Overview
While cruising at an altitude of 7,800 meters in good weather conditions at night, the pilot-in-command initiated a left turn. Control was lost shortly thereafter, and the aircraft entered a dive, spiraling toward the ground.
In-Flight Breakup
At an altitude of 5,000 meters, elements of the upper wing surface and the stabilizers detached. The aircraft disintegrated in the air before impacting a steppe approximately 84 kilometers south of Semipalatinsk.
Wreckage Distribution
Wings and stabilizer parts were found at a distance of about 3.5 kilometers from the main crash site, consistent with an in-flight breakup.
Occupants
The aircraft carried 63 occupants, all of whom were killed in the accident.
Investigation and Probable Cause
The official investigation determined that the exact cause of the accident could not be identified. The possibility of a collision with an object was not excluded. It was believed that the crew may have initiated an emergency descent, but the reason for this maneuver could not be established. The flight data recorder was seriously damaged in the crash and could not be read properly, limiting the analysis of the flight parameters.