What happened
During a flight departing from Yakutsk and bound for Vilyuisk, the crew experienced a total loss of power to both engines approximately 31 minutes into the journey. The incident began when the flight crew transitioned the fuel supply to the left rear tank but failed to switch to an alternative source once that specific tank was depleted. This resulted in the simultaneous shutdown of both engines.
In an attempt to reach safety, the crew sought to perform an emergency landing within the Taras River valley, located near Namtsev, roughly 90 km north of Yakutsk. However, during the descent, several critical errors occurred: the propellers were set to a high pitch and the landing gear was deployed prematurely. These actions led to an aerodynamic stall, causing the aircraft type to crash into a forested region approximately 200 meters short of an open clearing.
The accident resulted in 20 fatalities, with no survivors reported among the occupants.
Findings
Investigations into the crash identified that the primary reason for the engine failure was fuel exhaustion resulting from the crew's mismanagement of the fuel system. Additional contributing elements included:
- Inadequate flight organization
- Deficiencies in crew coordination
- A series of incorrect tactical decisions made by the flying crew during the emergency descent