What happened
On a ferry flight originating from Mogadishu, an Il-76 was en route to Minsk via Djibouti City. The flight was transporting seven crew members and four technicians, who were returning to Belarus following the recovery of equipment from another aircraft, registration EW-78826, which had been damaged at the same airport in March.
During the initial climb phase shortly after departure, the aircraft was struck by a missile. The projectile impacted the left wing in the area between the first and second engines. This impact triggered an explosion and subsequent fire on the aircraft. As the crew attempted to execute a turn, the left wing separated from the fuselage. The aircraft lost control and descended into the sea before ultimately crashing onto a beach in the vicinity of the airport. The accident resulted in 11 fatalities, with no survivors reported among the occupants.
Findings
An external strike from a missile caused the structural failure of the left wing and the subsequent loss of control.