What happened
On the day of the accident, an aircraft carrying three crew members and three passengers departed from Batagay Airport at 11:42 local time. The flight was destined for Deputatsky and was transporting 543 kilograms of cargo. During the transit, the weather conditions significantly worsened, prompting the pilot to increase the altitude from 1,400 meters to 2,000 meters.
As visibility continued to decline, the aircraft drifted approximately 12 km away from its intended flight path. In an attempt to navigate the worsening conditions, the pilot-in-command lowered the altitude to 1,300 meters. During this descent, the aircraft struck the slope of Mt Hadaraniya, which has an elevation of 1,468 meters. The impact occurred roughly 175 km northeast of Batagay. The collision and subsequent fire destroyed the aircraft, resulting in four fatalities and two injuries.
Findings
The investigation determined that the crew made incorrect decisions by altering the flight path without obtaining necessary authorization while operating in weather conditions below established minimums over mountainous terrain. Several contributing factors were identified:
- Inadequate flight organization
- Failure to properly analyze flight documentation
- A meteorological forecast that did not accurately represent actual conditions