The aircraft involved was a Tupolev Tu-104B registered as СССР-42490 to the Ukraine Civil Aviation Directorate of Aeroflot.

Weather conditions at the time were overcast with low clouds and a visibility of 6 kilometers.

Thirty-one seconds later the crew contacted ATC and reported that they were heading for Chornaya Gryaz.

Seven kilometers from the airport at 150–200 m (490–660 ft) the cargo hold collapsed and some passenger seats were thrown out.

Some 2,700 m (8,900 ft) later, the aircraft crashed at a speed of 550–600 km/h (340–370 mph) at an angle of 10-14° in a 90° right bank near the village of Baranovo, Naro-Fominsky District, some 10 km (6.2 mi) southwest of Vnukovo Airport.