Background
On 20 May 2019, the pilot-in-command (PIC), acting on the aircraft owner’s instruction, flew the aircraft from the Novopavlovskaya landing site in the Kirovsky District of Stavropol Krai to a strip near the settlement of Zhuravskoye in the Novoselitsky District of Stavropol Krai. The flight was conducted to support agricultural aviation operations under a contract between the owner and the agricultural cooperative named after 1 May. No notification for airspace usage was submitted to the Mineralnye Vody ATC Center of the Southern Air Navigation Branch of the State Air Traffic Management Corporation.
The aircraft operated in Class G airspace. On 21 May 2019, the PIC performed agricultural flights from the Zhuravskoye strip from 01:00 to 06:00 (04:00 to 09:00 local time) and from 14:00 to 16:00 (17:00 to 19:00 local time). Flights continued on 22 May 2019, with six takeoffs completed from 02:20. No airspace usage notifications were filed for 21 or 22 May, and the PIC did not seek a weather briefing from the Stavropol meteorological station. Actual weather conditions on both days did not preclude flight operations.
Accident Sequence
At 11:40 on 22 May 2019, the PIC began the seventh takeoff of the day. According to the PIC, during the takeoff roll after lift-off at a height of 1–2 meters, a sudden loss of thrust occurred accompanied by engine shaking and subsequent backfiring. The PIC decided to abort the takeoff. Despite efforts to stop the aircraft within the strip, the aircraft overran the runway end and collided with trees in a shelterbelt along the takeoff path.
Aftermath
The PIC was not injured. The collision with the trees caused significant damage to the aircraft and ignited an engine fire. The PIC extinguished the open flames using a fire extinguisher, but smoke continued to emanate from beneath the engine cowling. The PIC contacted the chief by telephone. No further details are available.