Overview
On 2 August 2018, a Mil Mi-2 helicopter (registration RA-15652) equipped with an agricultural chemical system was assigned to treat rice paddies near the stanitsa of Novomyshastovskaya in Krasnodar Krai, Russia. The aircraft was operated by AO Firma "Agrokompleks im. N. I. Tkacheva". The flight task for specific rice field sections was given to the pilot-in-command (PIC) by a brigade leader prior to the agricultural operations.
Preflight Actions
Preflight preparation was conducted by the PIC at the company’s landing site, located 3 km west of Novomyshastovskaya, where the helicopter was based during the agricultural work. According to the helicopter technician, the preflight began at 01:30 local time. No preflight medical examination was performed. The PIC did not request meteorological information from air traffic control authorities, despite the requirement in Section VI of Federal Aviation Rules 128 which states that before and during aerial work, the PIC must have weather information for the operational area. Additionally, the PIC did not submit a flight plan for the agricultural aviation work to the Rostov Air Traffic Management Center.
Flight to Brigade No. 2 Landing Site
After completing preflight checks, the PIC decided to fly to the landing site of Brigade No. 2, located 6 km south of Novomyshastovskaya. This site was prepared for refueling the helicopter with chemicals and aviation fuel. The helicopter took off from the company’s landing site at 02:21:53. On board were the PIC and the helicopter technician. The subsequent landing at Brigade No. 2's site was recorded in the source but not further described.
Regulatory Context
The source highlights that preflight medical examination was omitted and that weather information was not obtained from air traffic services. Federal Aviation Rules 128, Section VI, paragraph 6.7 mandates that the PIC must have current weather information before and during aerial work. The absence of a filed flight plan is also noted.