Flight and Accident
An airplane operating a ferry flight from Kotlas to Voronezh crashed in an uninhabited area northwest of Sovetsk. The flight carried two passengers and a crew of five. The aircraft was cruising at an altitude of 1,500 meters from Kotlas to Kirov, after which the crew was cleared to climb to 1,800 meters. At 1056, the crew was instructed to fly heading 219°. Nine minutes later, the airplane entered a dive and subsequently crashed. The wreckage was discovered in the afternoon. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and a post-crash fire. All seven occupants were killed.
Investigation Findings
The investigation determined that the aircraft became uncontrollable after encountering severe turbulence while cruising in thunderstorm activity. Further inquiries revealed that the crew had not been informed about the possible presence of thunderstorms because the main weather radar of the local meteorologist was out of service due to maintenance.