What happened
During preparations for departure at the Mirny Ice Station, the crew of an aircraft was performing taxi maneuvers toward the runway. As the plane moved toward the takeoff point, it failed to enter the designated runway area. Instead, the aircraft skidded and became lodged at the edge of the runway.
While there were no injuries reported among the occupants, recovery efforts proved difficult. Multiple attempts were made by personnel to salvage the aircraft from its position; however, these efforts were unsuccessful. During the incident, the underlying ice fractured, causing the plane to drift away from its original location.
Findings
Investigations into the event indicated that the crew did not follow standard flight preparation protocols. Specifically, the movement of the aircraft was initiated while the tail remained in a locked position, which contributed to the loss of control during the taxi phase.