What happened
During a reconnaissance and training flight departing from Ukrainka Air Force Base, a Tu-95MS encountered severe operational difficulties. While the aircraft was maintaining an altitude of 5,000 meters, it entered an area characterized by cloud cover and icing conditions. During this phase of flight, the aircraft suffered the failure of three out of its four engines.
As the aircraft descended to 3,500 meters, the crew initiated an emergency bailout procedure. All seven members of the crew successfully exited the aircraft before it impacted the ground. The wreckage was located in a tundra area situated approximately 30 km from Litovko, within the Amur district of the Khabarovsk region. The incident resulted in two fatalities and five survivors. The aircraft, identified by the registrations RF-94204 and 77 Red, was destroyed upon impact.
Findings
- The aircraft was operating in icing conditions and clouds at the time of the engine failures.
- Three engines failed while the aircraft was cruising at 5,000 meters.