What happened
A cargo operation traveling from Moscow toward Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, which included a scheduled stop in Bratsk, experienced a catastrophic failure during its cruise phase. The flight was transporting 36 tons of cargo, including construction supplies and a single aircraft engine, along with a total of 18 people (nine passengers and nine crew members).
While the aircraft was maintaining an altitude of 9,600 meters, the crew notified air traffic control of an active fire on board. In response to the emergency, the crew began a descent. However, as the aircraft reached 7,000 meters, the airframe broke into three separate pieces. The wreckage subsequently impacted a forested region in the vicinity of Novaya Inya.
Findings
The impact resulted in the total destruction of the aircraft. There were 18 fatalities among the occupants, with no survivors reported from the crash site. The primary factor leading to the loss of the aircraft was an in-flight fire that preceded the structural breakup.