What happened
On the morning of the accident, an aircraft departed from Yerevan Airport at 05:13 local time to perform a series of meteorological survey maneuvers. The mission involved flying between altitudes of 3,500 and 5,000 meters within cloudy weather over the Sevan Lake area. After completing the required flight patterns, the crew initiated a descent from the northeast to return to Yerevan.
During this descent phase, at an altitude of approximately 3,160 meters, the aircraft collided with the eastern slope of Mt Kara-Dag, which stands at an elevation of 3,231 meters. The impact occurred roughly 12 km west of the village of Tsaghkachen. Emergency responders reached the crash site one day after the event. There were six fatalities among the occupants of the aircraft.
Findings
Investigations into the crash revealed that the flight was approximately 18 km off its intended course due to the influence of strong winds. The crew had not properly prepared for the mission according to established procedures and had miscalculated the necessary flight trajectory.
Additional contributing factors included a lack of information regarding wind components prior to departure and the improper use of the ADF system. Because the aircraft was operating within cloud cover, the pilots were unable to visually identify the mountain before the collision.