What happened
While traveling enroute, an incident occurred when a crew member opened the right side of the cockpit window to discard a cigarette. The ember entered the ventilation system's air inlet, triggering a fast-moving fire within the cabin. As the flames became impossible to suppress, the captain initiated an emergency descent to lower the altitude for a landing attempt.
The aircraft performed a belly landing in a snow-covered field situated near Lipovets. Following the impact, the plane slid several hundred meters before coming to a halt on the frozen Rosava River, where it was consumed by flames. The accident resulted in three fatalities (two crew members and one passenger) and ten injuries. The aircraft was destroyed in the crash.
Findings
Investigations into the accident highlighted issues stemming from recent technical modifications performed by Aeroflot technicians. Only 73 flight hours had passed since the aircraft was converted into a cargo configuration designed to transport up to nine passengers. During this conversion process, errors were made regarding the placement of the ventilation system's air inlet, which was positioned incorrectly just behind the cockpit window.
The rapid spread of the fire was attributed to the use of inadequate insulating material, specifically unimpregnated wadding that failed to meet necessary safety standards.