What happened
During a scheduled cargo operation from Novosibirsk to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, an aircraft carrying a heavy payload of detergent powder and meat crashed into mountainous terrain. The flight was transporting nine crew members and 11 passengers at the time of the accident. While the aircraft was descending toward Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky Airport under conditions of low visibility and heavy cloud cover, it struck a mountain slope approximately 40 km from the threshold of runway 34R. The impact occurred at an altitude of roughly 900 metres, causing the aircraft to disintegrate. Search efforts located the wreckage 300 metres below the mountain summit. There were 20 fatalities and no survivors.
Findings
Investigations into the accident revealed that the aircraft was operating significantly over its maximum allowable weight. At the time of departure from Novosibirsk-Yeltsovka Airport, the total weight exceeded the maximum takeoff weight by 17 tons. This overloading was a critical factor alongside the poor visibility encountered during the descent phase.