What happened
On August 6, 2024, the pilot planned a flight in a Bristell RG RA-5500G, registration RA-5500G, for general aviation purposes. The intended route was from the Korsakov (Pushisty) landing site to the Novorossiya landing site. The flight plan was submitted to the Air Traffic Management Center on August 5, 2024, at 22:08, requesting use of Class C and G airspace. Permission for the flight was granted by the Khabarovsk Air Traffic Control Center on August 6, 2024, at 01:13.
The pilot and one passenger arrived at the Korsakov (Pushisty) site around 12:00 local time. The pilot performed all pre-flight preparations independently, which included refueling the aircraft with 164 liters (118 kg) of AI-95 gasoline. The pilot decided to conduct the flight under Visual Flight Rules (VFR).
The investigation
During the investigation, a laptop belonging to the pilot was recovered from the airfield by investigators from the Far Eastern Transport Investigation Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation. Data from this device indicated that the pilot had accessed the "gramet autorouter.aero" web service to obtain meteorological information. Notably, the pilot did not request weather updates from an official meteorological authority prior to departure.
It was also noted that no pre-flight medical examination was performed for the pilot. However, under FAP-128 regulations, at airfields where no medical professional is available, the pilot-in-command is authorized to make the decision regarding the crew's fitness for flight.