What happened
A cargo mission departing from Baku Airport at 14:08 local time was en route to Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine, when the aircraft encountered fatal weather conditions. The flight, which included four crew members and two engineers, was transporting five gearboxes with a total payload of 1,366 kilograms. After ascending to 2,100 meters, the flight crew requested a route change to include an intermediate stop in Rostov-on-Don.
During this period, the crew did not seek updated meteorological information regarding the path ahead. As weather conditions deteriorated, the captain attempted to descend to 1,500 meters; however, air traffic control denied this request, instructing the aircraft to remain at its assigned altitude of 2,100 meters. While navigating through a thunderstorm, the aircraft type lost stability and began to break apart mid-air. The wreckage was located in a field approximately 10 km north of Izobilnoye. The impact resulted in the total destruction of the aircraft and six fatalities. Evidence indicated that the left stabilizer detached during the descent, with debris found 850 meters from the primary crash site.
Findings
Investigations into the accident identified that the aircraft encountered intense turbulence and severe downdrafts while flying through thunderstorm activity. A significant contributing factor was that the crew proceeded with a route modification without obtaining necessary information regarding the worsening weather conditions along their new flight path.