What happened
On June 19, 2015, an Antonov An-2, registration RA-40646, was conducting aerial forestry operations to combat forest fires within the Krasnoyarsk Krai forest fund. The flight was operated by Vostok-Avia LLC under flight assignment No 9-15/615. The crew consisted of the pilot-in-command, a co-pilot, and two observer pilots. The flight was conducted within Class G airspace.
Prior to departure, the aircraft had a takeoff mass of 5,194 kg, which was within the maximum allowable takeoff weight of 5,500 kg specified in the flight manual. The center of gravity was approximately 26.2% MAC, falling within the permitted range of 17.2% to 33% MAC. The pilot-in-command performed the pre-flight preparations approximately one hour before departure, which included verifying the flight route and confirming the presence of parachutists on board. The pilot-in-command also assessed the local weather conditions using available internet resources and determined they were suitable for the mission.
The investigation
During the investigation, it was noted that the pilot-in-command performed the medical clearance for the crew members himself. Under applicable federal aviation regulations, the pilot-in-command is authorized to make the decision to permit the crew to fly when operating from airfields lacking medical personnel. The pilot-in-command had interviewed the crew regarding their health and recorded that there were no complaints. The aircraft was documented as being fully equipped according to technical requirements at the time of the pre-flight preparation.