Flight Planning and Authorization
According to the final report of the Interstate Aviation Committee, the commander of a Robinson R44 helicopter planned a flight on 19 February 2026 from its base in Belogorsk to transport passengers along a route: Amaranrka – a logging site of IP Chekmareva I.N. (coordinates 50°31′40″N, 130°54′40″E) – Romny. The commander did not submit a flight notification for the use of airspace and conducted the flight without notifying air traffic service units. No clearance for the use of airspace was issued by the Regional Center of the Unified Air Traffic Management System. The commander did not request weather information from the official meteorological service of the Russian Federation, and no pre-flight medical examination was performed. Documentation for the maintenance of the aircraft was not kept.
Flight Execution
After a ferry flight from the base, at approximately 16:30, the commander landed near Amaranrka on an air-selected landing site. On board, a passenger occupied the left front seat; he was an employee of IP Chekmareva I.N. and knew the location of the logging site. Two additional passengers were seated in the rear seats. At 17:20, the commander took off. The flight was conducted at altitudes between 70 and 150 meters and at speeds of 140 to 150 km/h. Near the logging site, the commander made two passes to inspect the air-selected landing area and landed at approximately 18:15. The flight from Amaranrka to the logging site was performed during daylight hours under visual flight rules.
Landing Site Description
The landing area consisted of a plot covered with sparse shrubs up to 1.5 meters in height, adjacent to a logging road up to 10 meters wide. The distance to the forest with trees up to 15–20 meters in height, along the takeoff course, with...