Flight Details
The single-engine aircraft departed Magadan Airport at 0925LT under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) with good weather conditions. The flight was en route to Omsukchan with an intermediate stop scheduled in Seymchan.
Accident Sequence
En route, weather conditions worsened and communication issues prevented contact with the crew. The pilot in command took the decision to cancel the intermediate stop in Seymchan and continued directly to Omsukchan. As conditions became marginal and visibility dropped, the crew entered a steep valley that led to a dead end. In these conditions, the pilot in command increased power, but the aircraft subsequently hit trees and crashed on the slope of Mt Nevskaya at an altitude of 1,380 meters.
Wreckage and Evacuation
The wreckage was spotted a day later approximately 40 km southwest of Omsukchan. All eight occupants, among them two children, were evacuated. The aircraft was destroyed.
Probable Cause
The official investigation determined the probable cause: the crew took the wrong decision to continue the flight when the weather conditions worsened. The pilot in command decided to cancel the intermediate stop and followed another route without prior permission, flew over a mountainous area without sufficient visual references with the ground, violating so the published procedures.