On May 16, 2019, a Robinson R44, registration RA-04196, was performing a scheduled flight to observe agricultural fields. The mission, operated by OOO "AlYur Plus," involved a flight route connecting the settlements of Mosalskoye, Dzerzhinskoye, and Krugloye.
Prior to the flight, an engineer performed operational maintenance at a landing site near Mosalskoye. Following a pre-flight inspection, the captain accepted the aircraft without remarks. The pilot obtained the weather forecast via the Aviamettelecom website, which did not indicate conditions that would prevent the flight.
The flight began at 01:30, with takeoff from the Mosalskoye area occurring at 01:53. The pilot landed at a site near Dzerzhinskoye at 02:03:30 to begin field inspections. During these specific segments of the flight, the GPS navigator was not active.
During the operation, the pilot attempted a sharp turn to avoid power lines. This maneuver required a forceful application of the throttle to reduce vertical speed, which led to a descent where the tail rotor struck a tree. The aircraft subsequently impacted the ground.