What happened
On October 8, 2009, at 23:30, the crew of a Mi-8T began pre-flight preparations to execute a mission for Surgutneftetransservice. The flight was intended to perform aerial works at the P-48 landing site within the Talakan field area in the Sakha Republic. The crew composition included the pilot-in-command, a co-pilot, a flight mechanic, and a flight mechanic instructor, who had been added to the crew to facilitate training for external load operations.
During the preparation process, the crew received a weather forecast via fax for the period between 00:00 and 06:00 on October 9, 2009. Upon reviewing the forecast, it was determined that the predicted conditions, which included fog in certain areas, did not meet the minimum safety requirements for flights involving external loads. The actual meteorological conditions at the time were also below the minimums required for VFR flight.
In response to the poor visibility, the pilot-in-command decided to delay the mission until the weather improved and a new forecast became available. During this waiting period, the crew moved from the P-48 landing pad to a hotel before returning to the site in the afternoon.