[1] The cockpit crew of the Yak-40 consisted of:[2] The Yakolev Yak-40 departed from Rostov-on-Don Airport at 12:47 Moscow time and proceeded on the route to Kerch.

The air traffic controller in charge of the Western section of Krasnodar had been working for more than six hours by 13:30:44, the time the Yak-40 entered his sector of airspace while at an altitude of 5,700 metres (18,700 ft).

After receiving confirmation from the controller the Yak-40 continued the flight path and reported passing the Novodmitrievskaya non-directional beacon at 13:34 and remained at an altitude of 5,700 metres.

[1] At 13:51:05 Moscow time, the An-24 and Yak-40 collided in the air at an altitude of 5,700 meters, severing the tail sections of both aircraft.

The primary cause of the accident was described as a violation of the rules for maintaining separation between aircraft by the air traffic controller.