What happened
During a nighttime departure from Sochi-Adler Airport, an aircraft entered a fatal descent while climbing at an altitude of roughly 200 meters. Following standard departure protocols, the plane initially began a turn to the right; however, it subsequently executed a left turn before entering a steep dive. The aircraft impacted the Black Sea at a distance of about 10 km from the coast.
Search efforts conducted that evening led to the discovery of debris and deceased individuals, but the primary wreckage descended to a depth of approximately 1,000 meters. There were no survivors among the 109 occupants on board the aircraft. The main wreckage remains unrecovered due to its depth.
Findings
Official investigations were unable to establish a definitive reason for the accident due to a lack of physical evidence. Investigators noted that the loss of control could have been triggered by an instrument failure or a mid-air collision with migratory birds, though neither possibility has been confirmed.