Accident Details
The crew departed from Turukhansk Airport in the morning under marginal weather conditions, including rainfall and visibility estimated between 4 and 10 km. Approximately 115 km north of Turukhansk, visibility dropped to 1 km. The pilot-in-command altered the planned route and descended to maintain visual contact with the ground. While flying at low altitude, the aircraft's left wing struck tree tops. It continued for about 1 km, then banked left and impacted terrain in a densely wooded area roughly 25 km north of the village of Serkovo.
Casualties
All four crew members and two passengers were killed in the accident. Additionally, nine other passengers sustained injuries, three of them serious.
Probable Cause
The investigation determined that the crew decided to fly under visual flight rules (VFR) in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) and below minima. Furthermore, the pilot-in-command modified his route without prior permission, which was considered a contributory factor.