Accident Overview
On a local training mission, a single-engine aircraft departed Khabarovsk-Maly Airport at 1757LT. Approximately one hour later, the aircraft went out of control and crashed in flames in a snow-covered field located 16 km west of Golubichnoye, in the Amur district. The wreckage was discovered the following day. Both pilots were killed, and the aircraft was destroyed by a post-crash fire.
Flight Profile
Investigation determined that at an altitude of 800 meters, the airplane descended at a vertical speed of 7 meters per second until reaching 200 meters, after which the descent rate increased to 21 meters per second until impact with the ground. At the moment of impact, the aircraft was in a nose-down attitude of 25°, with a 15° left bank, and a speed of 250–300 km/h.
Probable Cause
According to the official findings, the cause of the accident could not be established. Two possibilities were considered: either a fire had emerged in flight or the crew had lost spatial orientation in a snow-flurry.