What happened
During a scheduled cargo operation from Moscow-Zhukovsky Airport to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, an aircraft stopped in Abakan for an intermediate leg. The flight was transporting 30 tons of cargo along with 13 passengers and 10 crew members. Shortly after departing during the night, the aircraft reached an altitude of 200 meters before experiencing a loss of climbing capability.
Instead of executing a turn as required by established flight procedures after traveling 4 km, the aircraft maintained its straight flight path. This trajectory led to a collision with a snow-covered mountain slope located 13.4 km from the end of the runway. The impact caused the aircraft to disintegrate, and all 23 fatalities occurred during the accident.
Findings
Investigation into the crash indicates that the pilot failed to follow standard departure protocols. Specifically, the failure to initiate a turn at the prescribed distance prevented the aircraft from clearing the mountainous terrain.