What happened
On February 6, 2016, an Antonov An-2, registration RA-40204, operated by Light Air, was conducting a scheduled pipeline patrol mission for Transneft-Ural. The flight crew, consisting of a captain and a co-pilot, departed from Sterlitamak at 05:41. The mission route was intended to cover Sterlitamak, Salavat, Mrakovo, Zilair, Akkyar, and Orsk, before returning to the starting point.
During the flight, the crew maintained communication with air traffic control via VHF radio and cellular telephone. At 07:24, the crew contacted the Orsk approach controller, reporting their entry into the zone at an altitude of 100 meters and providing an estimated time of 07:45 for passing the northern edge of Orsk. However, the crew failed to make the scheduled contact with the Orsk controller at the designated time.