Accident Details
The aircraft was performing a cargo flight from Magadan to Pevek with intermediate stops at Seymshan, Zyrianka, Nizhni Kresty, and Bilibino. On board were one passenger, a crew of five, and two tons of apples.
Sequence of Events
Takeoff was initiated at night in snowfall from a contaminated runway. The takeoff run was prolonged. The pilot-in-command performed rotation at low speed. After liftoff, the aircraft reached a high angle of attack, stalled, and struck the runway surface multiple times. It continued for several hundred yards, then banked left and eventually crashed in flames in a snowy field located 440 meters past the runway end.
Casualties and Damage
The passenger sustained slight injuries. All five crew members were killed. The aircraft was destroyed.
Official Findings
The probable cause determined by the investigation was that the crew decided to take off from a contaminated runway that had not been properly cleaned. In such conditions, all safety requirements were not met, and aircraft performance was reduced. For undetermined reasons, the crew continued the takeoff run despite the excessive length and failed to make the correct decision to abort the departure.