Incident
The aircraft was departing Mogadishu on a ferry flight to Minsk with an intermediate stop in Djibouti City. On board were four technicians of the operator and seven crew members, all returning to Belarus after recovering materials and instruments from another aircraft (registration EW-78826) that had been damaged beyond repair at Mogadishu Airport on March 9.
Shortly after takeoff, during the initial climb, the aircraft was hit by a missile that struck the left wing between engines number one and two. An explosion occurred and the aircraft caught fire. The crew initiated a turn when the left wing detached. The wing crashed in the sea, while the out-of-control aircraft crashed on a beach near the airport. All 11 occupants were killed.
Investigation
The official investigation determined the probable cause: the aircraft was shot down by rebels located on a boat.