Incident Summary
On an evening local training flight from Stalingrad-Gumrak Airport, a crew consisting of two pilots, one mechanic, and one instructor departed to complete a training mission. Shortly after liftoff, during the initial climb at a speed of 200 km/h and a height of 20-30 meters, the instructor reduced engine power to nominal value without communicating with the crew. The pilot-in-command noticed a power loss on the left engine and, convinced of an engine failure, ordered the crew to shut down the left engine and feather its propeller. The aircraft subsequently banked left to a 70-degree angle, stalled, and crashed into a snow-covered field located 2,100 meters past the runway end. The mechanic was killed, and the three other occupants were injured. The aircraft was destroyed.
Investigation Findings
The official investigation determined that the instructor reduced the power of the left engine without informing the rest of the crew, which is non-compliant with published procedures. Due to this lack of communication, the pilot-in-command misinterpreted the loss of power as an engine failure. According to procedures, the instructor was not authorized to simulate an engine failure by reducing engine power below the minimum safe altitude of 1,000 meters. Contributing factors included the instructor's insufficient experience on this aircraft type and in night conditions (176 hours total), as well as the captain's failure to check his performance parameters.