Incident
An aircraft operating a special flight from Mys Schmidta to Moscow with polar researchers from the Soviet Air Force on board crashed into the slope of Mt Belaya, located in the region of Fedorovskaya about 315 km southwest of Arkhangelsk. The accident occurred during the leg from Arkhangelsk to Cherepovets. The aircraft was destroyed, and all 18 occupants were killed.
Weather Conditions
At the time of the accident, weather conditions were poor. Visibility was 4 km below a cloud layer at 300 meters, with fog, wind at 10 km/h, and rain.
Probable Cause
According to the official investigation, the captain decided to continue the flight at an insufficient altitude in poor weather conditions, specifically below established minima. Additionally, information related to weather conditions was incomplete, which was considered a contributing factor.