What happened
On the day of the accident, the aircraft commander arrived at the Kozlovets village airstrip around 09:00. After receiving the aircraft from a technician and refueling with 400 liters of gasoline, the aircraft was moved to a chemical stand where it was loaded with 1350 liters of herbicide. The day's operations began at 09:15. Throughout the mission, the crew remained incomplete as no co-pilot was present on board.
Following several rounds of spraying and intermittent refueling, the aircraft prepared for its twelfth flight. During this period, two unauthorized individuals were permitted to board the aircraft by the commander. One passenger, an 11-year-old boy, occupied the right-hand seat, while a second person stood in the space between the two pilot seats.
During the execution of the twelfth flight, the aircraft type was performing agricultural spraying over a field located behind a rise relative to the temporary airstrip. While performing a left-hand turn at a very low altitude, the aircraft struck the terrain while traveling on a heading of 310°. The impact caused the aircraft to spin 180 degrees from its original direction and triggered a post-crash fire fueled by spilled oil and gasoline. The forward section of the fuselage was destroyed by the flames.
Findings
- The accident resulted in 2 fatalities (the commander and the individual standing between the seats) and 1 serious injury (the child).
- The primary cause was identified as the commander's failure to follow established flight rules regarding aerial work instructions, driven by a lack of self-discipline.
- Operational deficiencies included the operator's failure to provide required flight staff and inadequate oversight of aerial work activities.
- Investigation revealed a lack of rigorous assessment regarding the professional abilities of flight personnel.
- Technical discrepancies were noted, including undocumented engine maintenance and unrecorded installations in the altitude corrector.