What happened
On May 22, 2019, an An-2 was conducting agricultural spraying operations near the village of Zhuravskoye in the Novoselitsky District of the Stavily Krai. The pilot had been performing several flights from this location since the early morning hours as part of a contract for agricultural work. At approximately 11:40 local time, the pilot initiated the seventh takeoff of the day.
Immediately after the aircraft lifted off from the landing site, the engine experienced a sudden loss of thrust accompanied by severe vibrations and audible popping sounds. The pilot attempted to abort the takeoff; however, the aircraft could not be stopped within the confines of the landing area. The aircraft veered off the runway and collided with trees located in a forest belt ahead of the takeoff path. The impact caused significant damage to the airframe and ignited an engine fire. The pilot managed to suppress the visible flames using a fire extinguisher, though smoke continued to emanate from the engine cowling.
The investigation
The investigation examined the flight operations conducted between May 20 and May 22, 2019. It was noted that during the flights on May 21 and May 22, no flight plans or notifications regarding the use of airspace had been submitted to the Mineralovodsky Air Traffic Control Center. Additionally, the pilot did not request meteorological consultations from the Stavropol Approach Control Service. While the weather conditions on the days of the accident were found to be suitable for flight, the lack of communication with air traffic services was documented.