What happened
Approximately five minutes after departing from Chardzhou Airport, the aircraft was climbing to an altitude of roughly 500 metres when the right engine ceased functioning. The pilot initiated a left turn and began reducing altitude with the intention of returning to the departure airfield. During this maneuver, the airplane entered a stall and impacted the ground in the vicinity of the airport. Upon impact, the aircraft caught fire and was totally destroyed. All 11 occupants perished in the incident.
Findings
The official investigation determined that the accident resulted from a combination of mechanical and operational factors. A fuel connection to the carburetor on the right engine had shifted due to strong vibrations after takeoff, which prevented proper fuel delivery to the engine. This issue was exacerbated by numerous repairs performed on that specific engine over the preceding two days.
Additionally, the investigation noted that the pilot elected to return to the departure point despite a serviceable airfield being located only 800 to 1,000 metres from the aircraft's position. A critical contributing factor was the failure of the crew to shut off the fuel feed to the affected right engine, which led to an engine fire and subsequent explosion.