What happened
During a departure from Leningrad-Shosseynaya Airport, an aircraft encountered adverse weather conditions characterized by snowfall and low cloud cover. After reaching a takeoff speed of 250 km/h, the plane ascended to an altitude between 30 and 50 meters. During this climb, the aircraft experienced an excessive nose-up attitude accompanied by lateral oscillations.
While maintaining a high angle of attack, the flight continued for approximately 5,300 meters before losing altitude. The tail section of the plane made contact with the ground, leading to a loss of control. The aircraft subsequently struck a snow-covered field at 200 km/h, rolling for roughly 210 meters and coming to a stop 290 meters to the right of the extended centerline. The impact resulted in 6 fatalities and 26 injuries, with some passengers suffering serious harm. Additionally, 54 individuals on board escaped without injury. The aircraft was completely destroyed during the accident.
Findings
Investigations into the accident identified that the crew did not adhere to established pre-takeoff checklists. Specifically, the failure to deploy flaps prior to departure was a critical error. Furthermore, investigators noted that poor flight preparation and insufficient coordination among the crew contributed to the event. It was also determined that the crew rushed the takeoff maneuver, which served as a contributing factor to the loss of control.