Approach and Go-Around
On final approach to Mineralnye Vody Airport at night, the crew encountered poor weather conditions. While flying at a speed of 290 km/h, flaps were deployed at an angle of 30°, causing the airspeed to drop to 260 km/h. At a distance of 1,500 metres from the runway threshold, the captain decided to initiate a go-around as he was unable to establish visual contact with the runway.
Loss of Control
During the initial climb, at an altitude of about 90 metres, the airplane entered a right turn, then rolled to the right at an angle of 15–30° and adopted a critical angle of attack of 15–18°. A tail stall occurred, and the airplane crashed in flames 2 km south of the airport.
Occupants and Damage
One crew member and 76 passengers were killed, while 21 other occupants were injured. The aircraft was destroyed.
Probable Cause
The official findings stated that the probable cause was the failure of the crew to adopt a proper go-around configuration after a missed approach. The loss of control during initial climb was the result of a premature raise of the flaps, which caused the aircraft to reach a critical angle of attack and to stall.