Incident
While cruising at altitude on a flight from Irkutsk to Chita, a hijacker entered the cockpit and ordered the crew to divert to China. Negotiations between the crew and the hijacker proved unfruitful. Shortly thereafter, a member of the militia shot the hijacker.
Detonation
Before succumbing to his wounds, the hijacker activated a system connected to several grenades attached to his belt. A massive detonation occurred in the cabin, resulting in the aircraft disintegrating in mid-air.
Crash
From an altitude of 6,500 meters, the aircraft entered a dive and crashed in the taiga approximately 97 kilometers west of Chita. Debris was scattered over a wide area.
Aftermath
None of the 81 occupants survived the crash. Soviet authorities later reported that the hijacker was mentally unbalanced and explained his actions by a recent refusal to grant him a job position within the diplomatic corps.