What happened
On January 7, 2009, at 04:06 UTC, a Mi-171 helicopter, registration RA-22463, operated by the Tomsk branch of Gazpromavia, began a scheduled flight. The crew consisted of a pilot-in-command, a co-pilot, a flight mechanic, and a senior flight mechanic acting as an inspector. Two additional technical personnel were on board to perform maintenance at various landing sites.
The flight, designated GZP 9252, was intended to follow a route from Tomsk to Biysk, continuing through the Gorno-Altaysk area and toward the Chemal district. The mission was organized following a request dated December 22, 2008, from the Deputy Chairman of the Government of the Altai Republic, which requested helicopter support for operations in the Kosh-Agach and Dzhatar regions, with the aircraft planned to base itself at the Tursib tourist base in Chemal.
The investigation
Investigators reviewed the documentation regarding the flight's authorization, including a request letter from the Altai Republic official. The investigation noted that the request was not written on official letterhead and lacked the author's specific job title. Furthermore, the investigation examined the operational constraints in place at the time; since December 26, 2008, flight restrictions had been implemented at the Gorno-Altaysk airfield, limiting its use to emergency, rescue, and medical missions only. The flight organizer had been notified of these restrictions.