Fatal Agricultural Aircraft Accident in Chelyabinsk Region (CCCP-L5579)

Incident Overview and Timeline On May 12, a crew arrived at the Podovinnoe Farm in the Chelyabinsk region to apply fertilizers to crops. That evening, the crew consumed large amounts of vodka and red wine. No flights were conducted on May 13 due to poor weather conditions. On May 14 and 15, the crew completed 30 rotations each day, totaling 12 hours of flight time. On the evening of May 15, all four crew members went to a local hostel and again consumed large amounts of vodka and red wine. The captain went to bed at 0030 local time, the copilot at 0255 local time, the mechanic at 0105 local time, and the flight engineer slept at the hostel. On May 16, all four crew members had breakfast at 0900 local time, again consuming vodka and red wine. The crew then proceeded to the aircraft with four other individuals, including two young girls. A local keeper attempted to dissuade the crew from taking off, but the effort was unsuccessful. The single-engine aircraft took off at 1400 local time, climbed to a height of 60 meters, and continued on a heading of 110 degrees for approximately two to three minutes before entering a dive and crashing in a field located six kilometers from the airstrip. The aircraft was destroyed, and all eight occupants were killed.