As the aircraft approached Moscow in the evening, the captain instructed the radio operator to read the checklist for descent and landing.

However, the captain was determined to take a shortcut to descend to the correct altitude by the third turn, thus avoiding the rectangular pattern.

As a result, the Il-18 descended at a vertical speed of 28 m/s, nearly three times the allowable 10 m/s, which violated the limitations specified in the flight operations manual (FOM).

During further descent, the aircraft leveled off at 1,200 meters and reached the calculated point when the controller instructed a 30° turn to ensure the necessary landing interval.

After completing the fourth turn and aligning with the final approach, the captain forgot to instruct the flight engineer to read the remaining checklist items.

Upon impact with the runway, the propeller blades began breaking and flying in all directions, including into the fuselage.

Blade fragments punctured the fuselage skin and damaged the hydraulic lines, as well as electrical wiring.

The pilots, still unaware of what had happened, activated the engine fire suppression systems, forgetting about the passengers in the cabin.

Together, with the flight attendants and passengers, the navigator opened the front and rear entrance doors and two of the four emergency exits.

The immediate cause of many of the fatalities was smoke inhalation resulting from a fire that started when AMG-10 hydraulic fluid ignited due to an electrical short circuit in the aircraft's wiring.