What happened
On a scheduled ferry flight from Kotlas to Voronezh, an aircraft was being operated with a crew of five and two passengers. During the transit, the flight proceeded from Kotlas toward Kirov at an altitude of 1,500 meters. Following their passage over Kirov, the flight crew received clearance to ascend to 1,800 meters.
At 10:56, the crew was directed to a heading of 219°. Approximately nine minutes after this instruction, the aircraft entered a sudden dive. The plane subsequently crashed in an unpopulated region situated northwest of Sovetsk. Search efforts located the wreckage later that afternoon. The impact and subsequent fire caused the total destruction of the airframe, and all seven fatalities were confirmed.
Findings
Investigations into the accident concluded that the aircraft became impossible to control after encountering intense turbulence while flying through thunderstorm activity. A critical contributing factor was that the flight crew lacked awareness regarding the potential for thunderstorms in their path; this occurred because the primary weather radar utilized by the local meteorologist was non-functional due to ongoing maintenance.