Shortly after take-off, the aircraft made a turn to the left, and at 03:53 contacted air traffic control (ATC) and reported their altitude as 4,200 meters.

[1][2] Investigators examining the crash site discovered unusual damage to the aircraft's radome and nose structure, and noticed that a substantial portion of the windshield was missing.

Investigators also discovered parts of the aircraft's nose cone six km away from the main crash site; these components displayed evidence of collision with a solid object.

[3] The investigation concluded that the aircraft's nose cone collided with a radiosonde, at a distance of 131 km from Tolmachevo, while ascending through 5,400 meters.

At an altitude of 2,000 meters and a speed of 700 km/h, the wing and horizontal stabilizer separated from the aircraft due to aerodynamic forces well beyond the plane's design limits.