What happened
On March 26, 2019, at approximately 11:00 (14:00 local time), an aircraft owner and his son departed from an airfield near the village of Kharachevo in the Vologda region, flying two separate aircraft. The flight path was intended to go from the Kharachevo site to the mouth of the Cheptsa River, which flows into Lake Vozhe. The flight took place within Class C and G airspace. No flight plan or notification of airspace usage was submitted to the Vologda Air Traffic Control Center, and the crew did not seek meteorological consultations from the Vologda Aerodrome Flight Information Service.
On the following morning, March 27, 2019, at approximately 08:00, the pilot and his son departed from their overnight location at the mouth of the Cheptsa River to return to Kharachevo. During this flight, the two aircraft maintained a distance of approximately 100 meters from each other at an altitude of roughly 50 meters, with the son flying ahead of the father. The pilots remained in radio contact during the initial phase of the flight.
After approximately one hour of flight, the father's aircraft ceased radio communication. The son attempted to locate the aircraft but was unsuccessful. Approximately ten minutes later, the pilot contacted his son via telephone, stating that he had crashed and was unable to determine his current location. Upon realizing his own fuel levels were critically low, the son landed on the ice of Lake Kubenskoye near Spas Kamenny Island to seek assistance and fuel from local residents.
The investigation
Initial findings indicate that the flight was conducted without proper coordination with air traffic control services. The crew did not request weather briefings or notify the Vologda Center regarding their intended use of the airspace.