What happened
During a nighttime flight originating from Kutaisi, the crew began their descent toward Moscow-Domodedovo under favorable weather conditions. While performing the approach at an altitude of approximately 1,300 feet, the aircraft experienced a sudden left bank reaching a 75° angle. This maneuver was followed by a rapid nose-down pitch, leading to a high-impact collision in a potato field situated 16.3 km from the runway threshold. The impact triggered a massive explosion and caused the total disintegration of the airframe. There were 122 fatalities among the occupants.
Findings
Investigations into the accident identified that the primary driver of the crash was an electrical system malfunction. This failure led to the loss of functionality in the aircraft's artificial horizon instruments. Operating at night with limited visibility, the crew experienced spatial disorientation due to the lack of reliable flight instrumentation, which ultimately resulted in the loss of control during the final stages of the approach.