What happened
A cargo operation scheduled from Yakutsk to Zyrianka, which included a planned stop at Oymyakon, ended in a fatal accident. The aircraft was transporting 2,253 kilograms of potatoes along with two passengers and a crew of four. While the flight was cruising through cloud cover at an altitude of approximately 1,600 meters, the plane lost control and entered a steep dive.
The aircraft subsequently crashed into a wooded area situated roughly 95 km west of Oymyakon. Search efforts located the wreckage in a remote location two days after the incident. The impact resulted in the total destruction of the aircraft and six fatalities, with no survivors among the crew or passengers.
Findings
Investigations into the accident revealed that the engines ceased operation due to fuel exhaustion. Although usable fuel remained in other tanks, the crew did not properly manage the fuel selector, which had been left on an empty tank. This error led to a total loss of engine power while the aircraft was operating on autopilot within cloud conditions, causing the plane to become uncontrollable.