What happened
On the afternoon of the accident, the flight departed from Avangard Airport at 13:52 local time. The original flight plan included two subsequent stops at Shchuchinsk and Kokshetau; however, following a decline in meteorological conditions, the crew coordinated with Air Traffic Control to proceed directly to Kokshetau.
At 14:18 local time, the pilot notified ATC of an estimated arrival time in Kokshetau for 14:48. Seven minutes after this communication, all contact with the aircraft was lost. Search efforts located the wreckage at 08:45 the following morning on a slope of Mt Sinyukh, situated approximately six kilometers west of Burabay, at an altitude of 850 meters. The impact resulted in the total destruction of the aircraft and the deaths of all 15 occupants.
Findings
Official investigations concluded that the crew chose to proceed toward their destination despite encountering adverse weather, rather than returning to Avangard or altering the flight path. Several contributing factors were identified in the accident:
- Adverse meteorological conditions
- Inadequate assistance from Air Traffic Control
- Deficiencies in flight organization