Accident
Eight seconds after liftoff from runway 21 at Pushkin Air Force Base, the aircraft was climbing to a height of about 50 meters in light snow. It then banked to the right, overturned, and crashed in a large explosion near the airport. All 50 people on board were killed.
Passengers
The aircraft was transporting many senior officers of the Pacific Fleet from Leningrad, where they had been attending meetings with the naval command, to Vladivostok via Khabarovsk. Among the deceased were 16 admirals and generals, including the commander of the Pacific Fleet, Admiral Emil Spiridonov, and his wife.
Investigation
Official findings from the investigation revealed that the crew allowed the aircraft to be improperly loaded. Evidence indicated that some military officers did not comply with seating assignments given by the crew and pressured the crew to operate the flight in an unsafely loaded condition. Additionally, witnesses reported that large rolls of paper were loaded on board and likely rolled rearward during takeoff acceleration, shifting the center of gravity aft of acceptable limits. This reduced the aircraft's pitch stability, making it impossible for the crew to lower the nose.