Incident
A crew of four crew members and two hydrologists was conducting an ice reconnaissance mission over the Krasnoyarsk Krai. After departing from Tiksi Airport, the flight proceeded to survey ice along the shore of the Laptev Sea, then over the Yana, Indigirka, and Kolyma estuaries, and eventually the mouth of the Lena River. En route, weather conditions deteriorated and visibility dropped due to fog. The captain decided to reduce altitude and descend through the clouds. The airplane subsequently struck the top of a hill and crash landed 100 meters further on snow-covered ground. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Occupants
The six occupants—pilot A. A. Kas, copilot V. K. Koroteev, radio operator N. M. Arapov, flight engineer D. Belusov, hydrologist Yuri Vladimirovitch Nalimov, and hydrologist V. Ramenskii—were slightly injured. They were transported to a hospital in Khatanga for medical attention.
Probable Cause
The official investigation determined that the accident was the consequence of a navigation error on the part of the crew.