What happened
A local training mission departed from Pskov Air Base involving an aircraft transporting eight crew members and three passengers, along with a cargo of ammunition. During the initial climb phase following takeoff, the flight crew notified air traffic control that a fire had broken out inside the cabin. In response to this emergency, the crew was authorized to perform an immediate return to the airfield.
During the attempt to land, the aircraft became uncontrollable and descended into a forested region situated approximately 3.4 km from the airport, landing 480 meters left of the extended centerline. The impact caused the airframe to break apart and ignited a large fire. There were 11 fatalities among the occupants.
Findings
Investigations into the accident focused on the origin of the onboard blaze. While investigators could not definitively identify the exact source, evidence suggests the fire likely originated within the cargo hold during the takeoff roll or shortly after rotation. It is suspected that a container holding ammunition may have been the point of ignition. The resulting fire and subsequent explosions caused significant damage to the elevator control systems, which ultimately led to the loss of aircraft control.