Communication with the plane was lost at 22:56 while it was flying over Tula Oblast, 180 kilometres (110 mi) south of Moscow.

The flight data recorder showed that the plane was cruising uneventfully at 8,100 metres (26,600 ft), before indicating some type of high energy event likely originating near the right hand side of the aircraft at seat row 19.

According to an unnamed government source of the Russian news agency Interfax, the plane had broadcast a hijack warning while flying over Rostov Oblast at 22:59.

The debris of the aircraft was found on the morning of 25 August 2004, 9 kilometres (5.6 mi) from the work settlement of Gluboky in Kamensky District of Rostov Oblast.

President Vladimir Putin immediately ordered the Federal Security Service (FSB) to investigate the crashes.

Itar-Tass news agency reported on 30 August 2004, "without a shadow of a doubt, the FSB security service said that 'both airplanes were blown up as a result of a terrorist attack'".

The Islambouli Brigades have also claimed that five of their members were on each plane; experts are skeptical about the possibility of (and the need for) so many terrorists on board.

On 24 August 2004, the bombers were stopped in the airport by police captain Mikhail Artamonov to be searched for weapons and for identification.

Aratyunyan also helped Dzhebirkhanova to bribe the ticket-checking clerk, Nikolai Korenkov, with €25 to get on board without the proper IDs.

According to the investigator who was handling the case, the people helping the suicide bombers at the airport were killed in Chechnya, the people responsible for planning the bombings were not identified (Shamil Basayev, who claimed responsibility for organizing the bombings, was also killed), and consequently the investigation was suspended due to lack of suspects.

Other passengers' relatives also sued the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs, S7 Airlines and two insurance companies, Ingosstrakh and OAO Afes for damages (none of the defendants acknowledge any liability).

[12] On 21 October 2007, the court in the latter case found S7 Airlines liable for damages and ruled they should pay the relative of the victim in question 250,000 rubles (approximately €7,000), which was about 10% of what the plaintiffs asked for.