What happened
On May 18, 2015, at approximately 02:30, the pilot arrived at the Kevsala landing site in the Ipatovsky District of the Stavropol Krai to begin pre-flight preparations. The aircraft, an An-2 with registration RA-56528, was scheduled to fly from the Kevsala site to the Gribnoye landing site in the Kirovsky District.
Prior to this flight, the pilot had been conducting intensive aerial chemical spraying operations for the Agrokevsalinskiy farm between May 14 and May 17, 2015. The workload during this period was exceptionally high, with the pilot completing 27 flights on May 14, 60 flights on May 15, 48 flights on May 16, and 36 flights on May 17. Following the conclusion of the mission on May 17 at approximately 15:00, the pilot's rest period at a private residence in Kevsala lasted from 16:00 until 01:30 on May 18.
The investigation
The investigation examined the flight logs and operational records of the spraying campaign. It was noted that the pilot performed pre-flight maintenance and operational servicing of the aircraft personally without recording these actions in the aircraft's technical logs. Additionally, the investigation confirmed that the pilot did not undergo a pre-flight medical examination, though this was noted to be in compliance with specific regulations (FAP-128) for locations lacking medical personnel.
Findings
- The pilot exceeded the regulatory limit for landings per shift, as the maximum allowed for this aircraft type is 45 landings, yet the pilot completed 60 landings on May 15.
- The pilot performed an excessive number of flight cycles over a four-day period, contributing to significant operational strain.