What happened
During a local training mission, an aircraft departed from the Znamenskoye airbase situated in Sovietskaïa Gavan. While the flight was in its initial climb phase, the pilot in command executed a right-hand turn of approximately 15 to 20 degrees in an attempt to maintain distance from a mountain located on the left side of the flight path.
As the aircraft continued its ascent at an altitude of 340 meters, the pilot performed a subsequent 90-degree turn to the left. During this maneuver, the aircraft made contact with treetops and crashed within a forested region on the southwestern slope of Mt Kekurnaya. The impact resulted in the total destruction of the aircraft.
Findings
The accident resulted in two fatalities, involving both the pilot and the co-pilot, while the remaining four crew members sustained injuries. The sequence of events indicates that the crash occurred during a series of maneuvers intended to navigate around local terrain.