Fatal Takeoff Accident at Moscow Airport (RA-88170)

Incident Overview and Departure Details The aircraft's initial scheduled departure time was 0800 local time, but the departure was postponed because passengers were late. To avoid missing the slot, the crew expedited the departure. At the time of departure, snow was falling at Moscow Airport. The aircraft was manually cleaned of snow before departure but was not deiced. The flaps were set to 11 degrees instead of the required 20 degrees, and the elevators were positioned at -4.3 degrees instead of +2.2 degrees. The rotation was initiated at an insufficient speed, and the wings and critical surfaces remained contaminated with frost. After liftoff, the undercarriage was retracted immediately. At a speed of 230 km/h, the aircraft climbed to a height of 15 meters, then rolled to the left at an angle of 65 degrees and crashed 1,200 meters from the departure point. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces, and there was no fire. All nine occupants were killed, including Russian journalist Artiom Borovik.