Aircraft Lease and Flight Purpose
According to a lease agreement dated June 19, 2025 (No. 10-296/Д), the An-2 aircraft with registration RA-40451 was transferred by its owner, OOO Staratelskaya Artel “Zoloto Ynykchana”, to OOO “YakutiaDiscovery”. The latter company specializes in organizing and conducting tourist tours. For July 8, 2025, a flight was planned from the settlement of Kapitonovka (25 km north of Yakutsk) to Zhigansk airfield, then to a landing site selected from the air near a geographic point with coordinates 70°32'00" N, 122°01'00" E (in the Olenyok River area). The purpose of the flight was to deliver fishing and other equipment for setting up a fishing camp. For July 9, 2025, a round trip was planned from the Olenyok River point to Zhigansk airfield and back, to transport arriving tourists to the equipped camp. Subsequently, the aircraft was to remain with the tourist group until the end of the tour.
Personnel and Passengers
The General Director of OOO YakutiaDiscovery, who had flown with the pilot-in-command (PIC) in 2024 to the Olenyok River area, verbally agreed with the PIC to conduct flights starting July 8, 2025. On board were two passengers: one as a guide, experienced in piloting the An-2 and flying in the Olenyok River area; the other, a specialist for aircraft maintenance (an employee of the owner company, on vacation), to perform operational maintenance.
Flight Plan and Clearance
The flight plan for airspace classes C and G was filed by the PIC through the internet flight plan submission system at 17:01 on July 7, 2025. Permission was issued by the planning and coordination center of the Airspace Management Center at 17:02 on July 7, 2025. In the morning, around 07:00, the PIC and passengers arrived at the Kapitonovka landing site, where pre-flight maintenance was performed.