What happened
Following departure from Karsi Airport, the aircraft began its ascent at a speed of 470 km/h, which was below its maximum capability of 515 km/h. After approximately 40 minutes of flight, the plane reached an altitude of 11,600 meters. During this phase, the airspeed decreased to 400 km/h, at which point the aircraft reached a critical angle of attack of +20° and began experiencing vibrations.
The crew misidentified the nature of these vibrations and did not properly manage engine power levels, failing to reduce the engines to idle. As a result, the airspeed further declined to 290 km/h, leading to an aerodynamic stall and the onset of a spin. The aircraft eventually settled into a flat attitude before impacting the ground in a remote desert location within the Ushquduq region. The impact resulted in the total destruction of the airframe and 200 fatalities.
Findings
Investigations concluded that the primary issue was an incorrect climb configuration. This improper setup caused the aircraft to adopt a critical angle of attack once it reached its cruising altitude. This aerodynamic state disrupted the airflow into the three engines, creating unstable flight conditions. The crew failed to recognize the error in the flight configuration until the aircraft had already entered a stall.