What happened
While traveling from Leningrad toward Kiev, the crew received clearance to descend from 9,000 meters to 7,800 meters to bypass a thunderstorm. Shortly after this descent, the Yak-42 entered an uncontrolled dive. During the high-speed descent, the aircraft experienced structural failure as several components broke away due to extreme aerodynamic forces. The plane eventually struck the ground at a speed of 810 km/h in a wooded area and fields near Verbovichi. The impact created a large crater, and debris from the wreckage was distributed across an area measuring approximately 22.7 square kilometers. There were no survivors of the crash.
Findings
Investigations concluded that the flight crew lost control of the aircraft because the jackscrew mechanism, which connects to the stabilizers, failed. This failure was attributed to a combination of structural imperfections and abnormal wear within the mechanism. As a result, the stabilizers moved into a downward position and became stuck. The crew made multiple efforts to recover the aircraft but were unsuccessful. Furthermore, it was determined that the existing maintenance protocols for the Yak-42 were insufficient to detect such wear. This discovery led to the suspension of airworthiness certificates for other aircraft of this type until necessary modifications and updated maintenance programs were implemented.