Accident Details
On the day of the accident, a single-engine aircraft departed Ust-Tareya Airport at 1025LT. The flight was bound for a remote airfield located on an island in the Piasyna River, approximately 35 km from Ust-Tareya. On board were two passengers, including a doctor, and four crew members, for a total of six occupants.
Sequence of Events
Upon arrival at the destination area, the pilot-in-command, M. N. Tomilin, decided not to land at the designated airfield but instead chose a landing site close to the buildings of a GGU geological expedition. The pilot made three attempts to land at this unprepared site. Due to strong crosswinds and the challenging terrain, he was unable to land and initiated go-arounds each time.
After the third unsuccessful attempt, the pilot elected to go around again. During this final go-around, the aircraft was configured with full flaps extended. The aircraft encountered gusty winds, causing a loss of airspeed. Subsequently, the left wing stalled, and the aircraft crashed in flames. All six occupants were killed.
Probable Cause
According to the official investigation, the probable cause of the accident was a wrong approach configuration and poor flight organization. Contributing factors included: lack of discipline on the part of the pilot-in-command, who attempted to land in difficult conditions on unprepared terrain despite the presence of a suitable airfield nearby; wrong piloting techniques, specifically the decision to execute a go-around with full flaps extended; and insufficient speed, which, combined with strong winds, led to the stall.