Investigation Summary
The flight was on its final leg from Irkutsk to Chita when the hijacking began. At 03:36 Moscow time, the crew signaled a state of danger and reported that a passenger was demanding a course change. The hijacker, Chingis Yunusogly Rzayev, was armed with a significant quantity of TNT. In accordance with Soviet security protocols of the era, an armed police officer (air marshal) was stationed on the flight. When Rzayev attempted to breach the cockpit, the officer, Vladimir Yezhikov, fired two shots, hitting Rzayev in the back and heart. Investigators were able to reconstruct these final moments through forensic analysis of the hijacker's body, which showed the gunshot wounds were sustained while he was still alive, shortly before the blast. Rzayev successfully triggered the bomb before losing consciousness. The aircraft was at approximately 6,500 meters when the blast occurred, leading to a catastrophic breakup. Debris was scattered over a 10-kilometer wide area of the Siberian taiga.
Final Conclusions
The official investigation concluded that the crash was caused by the detonation of an improvised explosive device by a terrorist. The explosion led to a sudden change in internal pressure and the total structural failure of the airframe at altitude. While the air marshal followed protocol by neutralizing the threat, the proximity of the hijacker to his device allowed for a final act of sabotage that the crew could not prevent.
Photographic Evidence (1)
Video Analysis
Aeroflot Flight 109 - The Deadliest Terrorist Attack in Soviet History — An exploration of the history of the Tu-104 and the hijacking of Flight 109, which resulted in the deadliest terrorist attack in the history of the Soviet Union.
If playback is blocked, the owner has disabled embedding — use the link above.
Airframe & Maintenance
Systems & Failure Modes
Fuselage Structure
Suffered catastrophic failure due to internal overpressure from the TNT blast.
Transponder / Radar
The aircraft appeared as a blur on radar before disappearing, indicating rapid mid-air disintegration.
Interesting Facts
- 01The hijacker was identified as 32-year-old Chingis Yunusogly Rzayev.
- 02The explosive device contained between 5.5 and 6 kilograms of TNT.
- 03The air marshal, Vladimir Yezhikov, was 21 years old at the time of the incident.
- 04Forensic examination of Rzayev's remains confirmed he had been shot twice in the back, with one bullet piercing his heart, prior to the explosion.
- 05The aircraft broke into several sections mid-air due to explosive decompression.
- 06The wreckage was scattered over a 10-kilometer wide area of the taiga.
Safety Actions & Advisories
Enhanced Security Screening
The incident led to a re-evaluation of passenger screening processes in the Soviet Union to prevent explosives from being carried into aircraft cabins.