What happened
During a local training mission departing from Leningrad-Shosseynaya Airport, an aircraft entered an uncontrollable dive. The flight began at 09:47 local time under challenging meteorological conditions, characterized by mist, visibility below 5 km, and cloud ceilings as low as 200 meters. Due to these conditions, air traffic control had initially restricted the mission to the immediate vicinity of the airfield.
Later in the afternoon, while the aircraft was cruising at an altitude of 2,100 meters, the pilot-in-command lost control of the plane. As the aircraft descended through the final cloud layer, the pilot attempted to recover the flight path; however, the maneuver was unsuccessful. The aircraft struck a field in Dachnoe, less than one kilometer north of the airport, resulting in an explosion. The crash resulted in nine fatalities, including three pilots, four instructors, and two passengers.
Findings
Investigations into the accident revealed that the crew was performing a simulation of a right engine failure while operating within cloudy conditions. It is believed that spatial disorientation or a series of successive errors led to the loss of control and the subsequent dive. Although the pilot attempted to regain control after exiting the clouds, the aircraft's altitude was too low to prevent impact with the ground. Additionally, it was noted that the presence of two civilian passengers on the flight violated established regulations.