Accident Overview
An aerial spraying aircraft was conducting a local mission for a sovkhoz in Tynne, Rivne region. In the afternoon, the crew decided to give a tour to six farmers from the sovkhoz, all of whom were intoxicated at the time.
Flight and Crash
Approximately five minutes after takeoff, while flying at an altitude of 130 meters, the pilot-in-command executed a sharp climb, apparently to avoid a chalet. The six passengers, who were seated on the floor, slid to the rear of the cabin. This movement caused the aircraft's center of gravity to shift outside the permissible envelope. As a result, the aircraft pitched up sharply, stalled, and impacted the ground at high speed in a wheat field.
Aftermath
The aircraft was destroyed. All nine occupants—the crew and the six passengers—were killed.
Probable Cause
The official investigation determined the probable cause to be a wrong maneuver on the part of the pilot, which caused all passengers, who were seated on the floor without seat belts, to move to the rear part of the cabin. In such conditions, control of the aircraft was lost. The occupants were intoxicated at the time of the accident.