Incident
After takeoff from Leningrad-Shosseinaya Airport, while cruising at an altitude of 7,800 meters, a stewardess informed the cockpit crew about a passenger who wanted to fly to Stockholm and was carrying a pistol and a hand grenade. The hijacker entered the cockpit and stood by the flight engineer. The crew returned to Leningrad-Shosseinaya.
Explosion on Final Approach
On final approach, at a height of 120–140 meters, the captain asked the copilot to lower the gear. When the hijacker realized they were flying back to Leningrad, he unpinned the grenade. The grenade exploded in the cockpit, causing a huge hole in the fuselage. The hijacker and the flight engineer were killed, while both pilots were slightly injured.
Landing and Aftermath
Thirty seconds after the explosion, the pilots landed the airplane at a speed of 310 km/h. After touchdown, the nose gear collapsed, and the airplane slid for several dozen meters before coming to a halt. All 55 other occupants were uninjured. The aircraft was not repaired.