Accident Overview
A cargo flight transporting reindeer skins from Pevek to Magadan, with scheduled stops at Zyrianka and Seymchan, crashed into Mt Tuonnyakh under poor weather conditions. The aircraft was carrying 800 kilograms of reindeer skins. All four crew members were killed in the accident. The wreckage was discovered four days later approximately 53 kilometers northwest of Seymchan.
Flight Details
The flight was a cargo operation transporting reindeer skins between several locations in Russia. The total load weight was 800 kilograms. The flight plan included intermediate stops at Zyrianka and Seymchan before reaching the final destination of Magadan. The aircraft departed Pevek and proceeded towards its first stop.
Accident Sequence
During the flight, the aircraft encountered strong winds that caused it to deviate from the prescribed flight plan. Neither the crew nor air traffic control detected this deviation. As the aircraft approached a mountainous area in poor weather conditions, the crew experienced downdrafts. The airplane rapidly lost altitude, descending from 2,400 meters to 1,820 meters in a few seconds. It subsequently crashed onto the slope of Mt Tuonnyakh.
Wreckage Discovery
The wreckage was found four days after the accident. It was located approximately 53 kilometers northwest of Seymchan.
Probable Cause
According to official findings, the probable cause of the accident was the crew's failure to adhere to navigation rules and maintain regular communication with ATC. Additionally, ATC failed to provide proper assistance to the crew. A contributing factor was that the wind component information transmitted to the crew was inaccurate.