Accident Summary
A cargo flight carrying 12,108 kg of cherries and 1,408 kg of strawberries from Sofia to Moscow-Sheremetyevo Airport crashed into a mountain 27 km north of the airport. The aircraft was destroyed on impact, and all five crew members were killed.
Sequence of Events
Shortly after takeoff from runway 09, while climbing to a height of 400 meters, the crew informed ground about the failure of the left engine. The pilot-in-command made a slight left turn to 5-6° and shut down the left engine 30 seconds later. The airplane continued heading 095° to an altitude of 800 meters and then entered clouds. The crew informed ATC that they were dumping fuel and returning to the airport for an emergency landing. Shortly thereafter, the airplane struck the slope of a mountain and disintegrated on impact.
Probable Cause
The exact cause of the failure of the left engine could not be determined with certainty. However, it was reported that the failure occurred at a critical stage of flight and created a complex situation for the crew, who were forced to dump the fuel without appropriate assistance from ATC. The lack of radar equipment remains a contributing factor.