Aircraft Crash on Mount Sinyukh: 15 Killed After Weather Deterioration (CCCP-70351)

Flight Details and Loss of Contact The crew departed Avangard Airport at 1352LT, intending to complete the final two legs of their trip to Shchuchinsk and Kokshetau. Due to deteriorating weather conditions, the crew and Air Traffic Control (ATC) agreed to fly directly to Kokshetau. At 1418LT, the crew reported an estimated time of arrival (ETA) in Kokshetau for 1448LT. Seven minutes later, contact with the aircraft was lost. ## Wreckage Discovery and Casualties The wreckage was discovered the following morning at 0845LT. It was located at an altitude of 850 meters on the slope of Mount Sinyukh, which has a peak elevation of 947 meters. The site was situated six kilometers west of Burabay. The aircraft was totally destroyed, and all 15 occupants on board were killed. ## Official Findings The official investigation determined that the probable cause of the accident was the crew's decision to continue into adverse weather conditions instead of returning to Avangard or modifying their route. Contributing factors included a lack of ATC assistance, poor weather conditions, and poor flight organization.