What happened
A cargo flight scheduled to travel from Moscow to Baku, with planned stops in Voronezh and Stalingrad, was transporting 1,793 kilograms of various goods, including mail and brass sheets. During the final approach to Stalingrad Airport under marginal night weather conditions, the aircraft began losing altitude approximately 2,300 meters before reaching the runway. At an altitude of roughly 250 meters, the plane entered a stall and impacted a snow-covered field located about 60 meters to the right of the runway centerline. The impact caused the airframe to break into two pieces. The accident resulted in four fatalities and left the radio operator with serious injuries.
Findings
Investigations into the crash identified that the crew was operating in a configuration that violated both company procedures and aviation regulations, as the copilot was seated in the left seat while the captain occupied the right seat. This arrangement was problematic because the captain lacked the necessary experience to manage a night approach in that specific seating position. The primary cause of the stall was an insufficient approach speed resulting from an improper aircraft configuration and a failure by the crew to monitor flight instruments, specifically the airspeed indicator. Additional contributing factors included poor flight preparation, lack of discipline, negligence, inadequate coordination during the final approach, and an incorrect approach configuration.