Accident Summary
Just after liftoff during a night climb to an altitude of 8 meters, the airplane banked sharply to the left. The left wing struck the runway surface, causing the aircraft to become uncontrollable. It crashed in flames in a grassy area on the left side of the runway. Debris was scattered over a distance of 400 meters.
Casualties and Evacuation
Emergency responders evacuated 45 injured individuals from the wreckage. Twenty-eight people were killed, including two crew members and Bulgarian singer Pacha Hristova, who was traveling to Algeria with members of the Bulgarian folkloric band 'Aura'.
Investigation Findings
Investigators determined that the airplane had just returned to service following ground maintenance. For reasons unknown, technicians failed to comply with maintenance procedures. Specifically, the aileron control cables were found to have not been properly connected. The probable cause of the accident was attributed to this maintenance error.