What happened
In the late afternoon, an aircraft was en route to Sochi-Adler Airport when it came under attack from enemy forces. Two German fighter planes engaged the target and successfully shot it down. The airframe crashed shortly after being hit. All individuals on board perished in the incident. The fatalities included both members of the flight crew and one passenger, resulting in a total of three deaths.
Findings
Official investigations concluded that the loss was caused by hostile action from two German fighters. A critical factor identified was the violation of operational restrictions regarding the specific air route between Sukhumi and Sochi. During this period, daytime flights along this corridor were prohibited due to active enemy presence in the region. Standard protocol required that any aircraft operating on this route be escorted by Soviet fighter planes for protection.
Despite these regulations, the pilot elected to depart without the necessary escort. It was determined that no Soviet fighters were available to provide a convoy at the time of departure. The decision to proceed with the flight in the absence of adequate air cover directly exposed the aircraft to interception, leading to its destruction.