Incident Summary
A cargo flight operating between Yakutsk and Zyrianka with an intermediate stop at Oymyakon crashed in a wooded area located 95 km west of Oymyakon. The aircraft was cruising at an altitude of 1,600 meters in clouds when it went out of control, entered a dive, and impacted terrain. The wreckage was discovered two days later in an isolated area. The aircraft was destroyed, and all six occupants—a crew of four and two passengers—were killed. The cargo consisted of 2,253 kilograms of potatoes.
Investigation Findings
The investigation determined that the crew failed to follow proper in-flight procedures and did not monitor the fuel selector position. The fuel selector had been switched to an empty tank, causing both engines to stop. Although fuel remained in other tanks, the crew did not switch the fuel selector in time. With both engines inoperative due to fuel exhaustion, the aircraft lost control while operating under autopilot in instrument meteorological conditions (clouds).