Accident Details
The aircraft departed Tianjin on a cargo flight to Moscow with intermediate stops in Irkutsk and Perm, carrying 49,750 kilos of various goods and seven crew members. At Irkutsk-Intl Airport, 38 tons of fuel were uplifted. The crew calculated 30,040 kilos for the cargo, giving a total weight of 170 tons, about 4 tons below the maximum takeoff weight (MTOW).
During the takeoff roll, after 2,000 metres at a speed of 225 km/h, the captain started rotation. The aircraft lifted off and flew for about 4 seconds when the captain requested gear up. At 250 km/h, the aircraft passed the runway end and adopted a 16° angle of attack. Subsequently, the speed decreased when the flight engineer reduced power on all four engines and activated the thrust reverser systems on both left engines (numbers 1 and 2). The aircraft rolled to the left, collided with a building containing an electrical transformer, and came to rest 1,476 metres past the runway end, bursting into flames. All seven occupants were injured, two seriously. The aircraft was destroyed.
Probable Cause
The official investigation determined that the total weight of the aircraft at the time of the accident was 198-200 tons, which is 24-26 tons above MTOW. The cargo manifest indicated a total weight of 49,750 kilos upon departure from Tianjin but only 30,040 kilos upon departure from Irkutsk, while no cargo was unloaded. The following contributing factors were identified: a miscalculation of the mass and balance, poor flight planning, and poor crew coordination.