What happened
On October 28, 2017, an ultralight aircraft, registration RA-1063G, was prepared for flight by the pilot, who also owned the aircraft. The flight was arranged by one of the passengers as a birthday gift for another individual. The aircraft was positioned on a dirt road near the pilot's residence in the village of Prichtovsky, a location the pilot frequently used as a takeoff and landing site.
Following the pilot's solo preparation of the aircraft, the first passenger boarded and was secured with a safety harness and a protective helmet. The first takeoff occurred at approximately 17:00. The flight path initially covered nearby fields before proceeding to the Belaya River, following the riverbed, and circling the Prichtovsky area.
The investigation
Investigations revealed that the flight was conducted without an approved flight plan filed with the Rostov Air Traffic Control Center. Consequently, no authorization for takeoff and landing was granted for the RA-1063G on that date. The investigation also noted that the pilot performed the pre-flight preparations independently. While a formal pre-flight medical examination of the pilot was not conducted, this was noted to be in compliance with specific regulations (FAP-128) regarding operations from landing sites where medical personnel are unavailable.
Findings
- The flight was conducted without official authorization or a filed flight plan within the unified airspace management system.
- The pilot utilized a local dirt road as a makeshift runway.
- The flight resulted in one fatality.