The collision between Aeroflot's Antonov An-24RV and the Tupolev Tu-16K occurred at an altitude of 5,220 metres (17,130 ft), killing 37 people on both aircraft.

[citation needed] The flight dispatcher was informed that the local airspace would be traversed by military aircraft at altitudes of 4,200–4,500 metres (13,800–14,800 ft).

[citation needed] On the same day, at 16:00 and 16:01 local time two Tupolev Tu-16Ks left Zavitinsk air base for weather reconnaissance.

At 16:21 local time, one of them (serial number 6203106) collided with the Aeroflot An-24RV, 70 km east of Zavitinsk air base.

[1] She survived partly because the 4-by-3-metre (13 by 10 ft) aircraft fragment she was in started to glide[2] and landed on a soft, swampy glade.

[1] The investigation concluded that the flight operations director at Zavitinsk air base did not use radar assistance to track the Tupolevs, which became the direct cause of the accident.