What happened
On October 1, 2010, a Cessna Grand Caravan 208B, registration RA-67701, was operating an unscheduled domestic flight from Lensk to Bratsk for the operator Veltal-avia. The flight was intended to transport six passengers, and the crew included a pilot-in-command instructor, a pilot-in-command, and an aircraft technician tasked with performing maintenance checks at transit airports. The mission was also being used as a training flight for the pilot-in-command as part of a specific training program.
Prior to departure, the crew underwent medical examinations at the Lensk airport medical station, which concluded successfully at 21:50. Following the medical clearance, the crew requested weather forecasts for the route and the alternate airport, Ust-Kut. Meteorological information received indicated winds at the flight altitude of 4,200 meters at 330 degrees at 50 km/h, a warm front with cloud tops reaching 4,000 meters near Kirensk, and light icing conditions within the clouds. The pilot-in-command filed a flight plan for a 23:00 departure and performed navigational calculations, noting an estimated flight duration of 03:25 and a fuel load of 792 kg.