What happened
A cargo flight traveling from Omsk to Liepaja via Gorki was carrying eight tons of radio equipment. The aircraft, which lacked a dedicated cargo compartment or cargo door, had its load distributed with heavier items in the forward cabin and lighter components in the rear. During the night approach into Liepaja, the crew encountered adverse weather involving rain and snow, which reduced visibility to 900 meters, falling below required airport minimums.
As the aircraft descended to 310 meters at a speed of 265 km/h and deployed flaps, it became unstable in both pitch and roll. At an altitude of 180 meters, the autopilot disconnected, causing the plane to drift right of the approach path. In an attempt to regain visual contact with the runway, the pilot initiated a left turn; however, the aircraft entered an excessive descent rate of 8 meters per second. The plane struck treetops approximately 1,690 meters before the runway threshold, hit a railroad embankment, and crashed into a snow-covered field 155 meters right of the centerline. The impact and subsequent fire destroyed the aircraft. The accident resulted in four fatalities and one serious injury.
Findings
The investigation concluded that the crew attempted to continue an approach despite visibility being below minimums and the aircraft being in an unstable state. Furthermore, the crew failed to execute a go-around maneuver during the high-rate descent. The operation was also characterized by inadequate flight planning and preparation by both the operator and the crew. Crucially, the aircraft was overloaded by 752 kg and lacked proper weight and balance documentation. Because the cargo had not been weighed, the center of gravity was positioned too far forward, outside of the safe operating envelope, contributing to the instability during the final approach.