What happened
On March 21, 2020, a Bell 206B-III, registration RA-01917, was operating a flight from the Transit Base settlement to the Mys Konstantinovskiy settlement. The flight was planned as a direct route covering a distance of 140 km with a course of 45 degrees. The flight was conducted at the pilot's personal initiative to show the passenger local coastal landmarks. The aircraft was carrying one passenger and approximately 30 kg of cargo.
The pilot arrived at the Transit Base at approximately 06:00 to begin pre-flight preparations. To obtain necessary meteorological information for Naryan-Mar airport, the flight route, and the destination landing site, the pilot utilized the internet. The pilot performed all pre-flight preparations and fueled the aircraft personally using TS-1 aviation kerosene from a hangar container. No medical examination was performed prior to departure, though the pilot determined the crew was fit for flight in accordance with applicable regulations for locations lacking medical personnel.
The investigation
Investigators examined the pre-flight procedures and the aircraft's weight and balance. Because there were no entries in the aircraft's logbook regarding pre-flight preparation, the commission calculated the total weight based on available data. This included approximately 340 liters (272 kg) of fuel, 5.8 kg of engine oil, and the 30 kg of cargo.