What happened
During the departure phase from runway 27 at Sverdlovsk-Koltsovo Airport, the aircraft's right engine experienced a failure while climbing through an altitude of approximately 130 to 150 meters. This mechanical failure triggered intense vibrations throughout the airframe, which prevented the crew from clearly monitoring flight instruments. In an attempt to manage the throttle during this period of instability, the flight engineer accidentally deactivated the left engine.
With a total loss of power and inadequate thrust to maintain altitude, the pilot performed an emergency descent toward a frozen pond situated nine kilometers west of the airport. The aircraft struck the surface of the pond at high velocity, hitting multiple obstacles along its path. The impact caused the airframe to break into three distinct sections after traveling a distance of 1,220 meters. The accident resulted in seven fatalities, including two crew members, three passengers, and two individuals on the ground. Among the remaining occupants, 31 people sustained injuries, while 15 others were not harmed. The aircraft was completely destroyed.
Findings
An investigation determined that a compressor blade on the second stage of the engine failed due to fatigue cracks, which initiated the right engine failure and the subsequent heavy vibrations. The accidental shutdown of the left engine by the flight engineer was identified as a contributing factor to the loss of altitude.