What happened
On March 5, 2009, an Antonov An-31T, registration RA-0880G, was conducting a scheduled training flight during the daytime. The flight was operating under the auspices of Aeroclub Aviator, with the route planned from Pulkovo airfield to Burny airfield. The flight plan, which had been submitted on March 4, 2009, specified a maximum flight altitude of 300 meters.
The crew consisted of the pilot-in-command and a co-pilot, who was a citizen of the Republic of Korea. Additionally, the chief engineer of Aeroclub Aviator was present on board as noted in the flight assignment. While the aircraft's flight manual allows for single-pilot operations, this specific mission was designated as a two-person crew flight.
The investigation
The investigation revealed significant lapses in the pre-flight procedures and crew readiness protocols. Although the flight assignment was signed by the company's directors with a notation stating the crew was prepared for flight, the crew had not undergone the required readiness control for this specific mission.
Records show that while preliminary flight preparations had occurred on March 3, 2009, for a different route, no specific readiness control was performed for the flight to Burny airfield. Furthermore, the investigation noted that the pilot-in-command's preliminary training for the 2008–2009 period had been conducted in October 2008, but no subsequent readiness monitoring had been implemented. Pre-flight medical examinations were completed at the Pulkovo airport medical unit at 07:45, where the crew reported no health issues and were cleared for departure.