Accident Overview
A charter flight carrying 62 Lithuanian tourists and five crew members from Vladivostok to Minsk encountered a serious incident during takeoff. As the aircraft reached 320 km/h on the takeoff roll, the captain initiated rotation, but the aircraft did not respond. The crew began emergency braking procedures with 1,000 meters of runway remaining on the 3,500-meter-long strip. Unable to stop within the available distance, the aircraft overran the end of the runway at a speed of 200 km/h. After leaving the paved surface, the nose gear separated, and the aircraft came to rest 283 meters beyond the runway end. All 67 occupants evacuated the aircraft safely, but the aircraft sustained damage beyond repair.
Investigation Findings
Official investigation determined that the takeoff failure was caused by the aircraft being unable to rotate due to an excessive takeoff weight. The total weight was approximately 6.8 tons above the maximum takeoff weight (MTOW), and the center of gravity was positioned too far forward, outside the allowable envelope. Further investigation revealed that the flight dispatch did not follow published procedures. The weight and balance sheet provided to the crew was inaccurate: a total of 16,800 kg of cargo and luggage had been loaded, whereas the documentation stated only 10,000 kg.
Probable Cause
The probable cause was that the aircraft was unable to rotate and take off because its total weight was about 6.8 tons above MTOW and the center of gravity was too far forward out of the envelope. The flight was not prepared according to published procedures, and the weight and balance sheet provided to the crew did not reflect the truth, as a total of 16,800 kg of cargo and luggage were boarded instead of the 10,000 kg mentioned on the documentation.