What happened
On the second leg of a journey traveling from Yerevan to Akhalkalaki, a single-engine aircraft departed from Leninakan Airport at 09:54 local time. Approximately eight minutes after takeoff, while operating under favorable weather conditions, the crew provided air traffic control with a position report indicating they were roughly 20 km north of Leninakan.
Four minutes following that communication, the aircraft experienced a sudden loss of altitude. The flight path became unstable as the plane performed left and right banks before pitching into a steep nose-down descent. The aircraft ultimately impacted a mountainous area near the village of Sesapar, located about 30 km north of Leninakan. The impact resulted in a fire that totally destroyed the airframe. There were no survivors among the 13 occupants on board.
Findings
While investigators could not reach a definitive conclusion regarding the accident, several potential contributing factors were considered by the board:
- A shift in the center of gravity caused by passengers moving toward the rear of the cabin, potentially placing the aircraft outside its safe operating envelope
- A mechanical failure involving the control cables
- An intentional act by the crew during the flight