What happened
A cargo flight operating from Nikolayevsk-on-Amur toward Okha resulted in a fatal accident when the aircraft struck terrain. Shortly after departing for its mail delivery route, the crew encountered heavy snowfall that significantly reduced visibility below safe operational minimums. In response to the deteriorating weather, the pilot attempted to execute a return to the departure airfield.
During this maneuver, the crew lost spatial orientation and failed to maintain a safe altitude. While flying at approximately 190 meters, the single-engine aircraft collided with trees on a forested slope of a hill measuring 282 meters in height. The impact occurred roughly 4.1 kilometers from the runway centerline. The force of the collision and a subsequent fire destroyed the plane, resulting in two fatalities.
Findings
The investigation determined that the primary factor was inadequate flight preparation by the crew, who proceeded with takeoff without reviewing current weather data for the route. While meteorological services provided updates after the departure, the information provided to the crew was overly optimistic and did not accurately represent the actual hazardous conditions present during the flight.