What happened
On June 19, 2016, at approximately 06:00, an amphibious aircraft was prepared for flight operations on Baklanovskoye Lake. The day prior, on June 18, 2016, the pilot and two representatives from LLC Hydrosamolyot performed maintenance on the aircraft, which included replacing oil, oil filters, and fuel filters on the engines, as well as repairing the hull. The intended purpose of the flight was to verify engine performance at high RPMs and to test the structural integrity of the hull through planing and takeoff maneuvers.
The aircraft had been fueled with 340 liters of automotive gasoline the previous day. On the morning of the incident, the crew started and warmed up the engines. Following the warm-up, the crew taxied to the middle of the lake to begin the testing process, which involved planing across the water. At 07:30, the pilot occupied the left seat, accompanied by one representative in the front right seat and another seated in the rear.
The investigation
Investigations revealed that the pilot failed to submit a flight plan to Air Traffic Control (ATC) authorities, nor were the ATC services notified of the intended use of the airspace. This lack of notification constituted a violation of established flight rules for Class C airspace. Additionally, the pilot did not contact the Khanty-Mansiysk Air Management Center to obtain a meteorological consultation prior to departure. Furthermore, the crew members involved did not possess the necessary documentation or certificates for the operation of the aircraft.