Accident Overview
A twin-engine aircraft operating a scheduled passenger service from Gelendzhik Airport to Sukhumi, Georgia, crashed in a wooded area southeast of Gelendzhik. The aircraft was destroyed in the impact and subsequent fire. All 18 occupants, comprising 16 passengers and two pilots, were killed.
Flight Details
The aircraft departed Gelendzhik Airport at 1325 local time. Weather at the time was described as marginal, with rain and a relatively low ceiling. The flight was conducted under visual flight rules (VFR).
Accident Sequence
Four minutes after takeoff, at 1329, the crew informed air traffic control that they were leaving the airport area and reported their position approximately 12 kilometers from the airport at an altitude of 450 meters. Six minutes later, while flying in clouds, the airplane struck trees and crashed in a wooded area located 22 kilometers southeast of Gelendzhik Airport. The aircraft burst into flames upon impact.
The burned wreckage was found three days later, on January 10, near Praskoveyevka at an altitude of 350 meters. The aircraft was totally destroyed.
Probable Cause
The official investigation determined that the crew decided to continue the flight under VFR mode in adverse weather conditions and also failed to consider the wind component. This caused the aircraft to drift off course by 3.7 kilometers to a mountainous area. While cruising in clouds at an insufficient altitude, the airplane contacted trees and crashed.