What happened
Shortly after departing Briakan, the crew of the aircraft encountered worsening meteorological conditions. Rather than initiating a return to the departure airfield, the flight continued into areas of low cloud cover. During this period, the plane drifted approximately 17 km to the right of its intended trajectory. While flying at an altitude of roughly 600 meters, the aircraft made contact with treetops and subsequently struck a mountain slope situated at an elevation of 1,220 meters near Gorny, which is located about 65 km northwest of Khurba Airport.
The impact was followed by a post-crash fire that completely destroyed the aircraft. Search and rescue teams reached the wreckage site one day after the accident occurred. The crash resulted in one fatality (the pilot) and 11 injuries among the remaining occupants.
Findings
Investigations into the accident identified significant errors in flight preparation, noting that the crew proceeded with the departure from Briakan without having adequate weather forecast information. Furthermore, the investigation concluded that the crew's decision to proceed despite deteriorating visibility was a critical factor, as they failed to return to their point of origin when the weather worsened.