The Antonov was leased from Air Sofia by Air Luxor to carry mail from and to the Azores Islands. On the return leg to Lisbon, Portugal, the aircraft carried 1693 kg of cargo. During takeoff from runway 33 at Lajes, the no. 3 engine shut down and the propeller automatically feathered. This caused the plane to veer to the right. Just six seconds later the no. 4 engine also shut down. The airplane veered further right and stalled. It entered a spin and crashed nose down into a small hill, a few hundred meters past the runway. The Commission identified the following probable causes: – Engines #3 and #4 stoppage at take-off, due to incorrect selection of the Fuel System; – Interruption of the checklist sequence in the attempt to transfer fuel from the lower tanks to the wings, which may have contributed to the incorrect selection of the Fuel System. The Commission considered the following contributing factors: – The fact that the cargo was not secured may have contributed to the deterioration of the stability and controllability of the aircraft; – The impossibility to retract the landing gear, in time, which contributed to the decrease of the aircraft performance.