What happened
Shortly after departing from Nasosny AFB, the aircraft experienced a catastrophic uncontained failure of its number one engine. This mechanical failure led to an intense fire that eventually caused the engine to separate from the airframe. In response to the emergency, the crew attempted to execute a return to the airfield.
During the final stages of the approach, the fire spread to the left wing, resulting in the wing detaching from the aircraft. Following this loss of structural integrity, the plane became uncontrollable and impacted the Caspian Sea. The crash occurred approximately 5,250 meters before reaching the threshold of runway 18, landing roughly 500 meters away from the shoreline. The impact resulted in the total destruction of the aircraft type and there were 57 fatalities among the occupants. The passengers on board were paratroopers traveling back to their base in Zhovtneve after a deployment in Baku.
Findings
Investigations determined that the sequence of events began with an intershaft bearing failure, which triggered the engine fire and subsequent loss of flight control.