What happened
In late February 2016, the head of a transport company requested a flight to locate a cargo truck that had been stolen along with its load from a parking area in the Leningrad region. The mission was intended to be a paid service, with a payment of 50,000 rubles arranged to cover a two-hour flight duration.
The flight was originally scheduled for February 23, 2016, but was postponed to the following day due to unfavorable weather conditions. On the morning of February 24, 2016, the pilot confirmed the flight would proceed. A passenger, the driver of the stolen vehicle, arrived at the Gostilitsy landing site between 11:00 and 11:20. The aircraft, an Embraer F-28, registration RA-2348G, was based in this area.
At 10:38, the pilot submitted a flight plan to the Air Traffic Management Center via the internet. The plan specified a flight under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) within Class G airspace, maintaining an altitude of 300 meters and a speed of 120 km/h. The estimated flight duration was 1 hour and 57 minutes, with a scheduled departure time of 11:30.
Upon arrival, the passenger met the crew and approached the aircraft parked in front of a hangar. The pilot assisted the passenger into the right-hand seat, secured the passenger's safety belts, and provided instructions regarding ground observation from the cockpit.