Flight Planning
On 9 December 2021, the pilot-in-command of Robinson R66 helicopter RA-07397 submitted a flight plan and application for airspace use via the website ZS.IVPRF.RU to the West Siberian Air Navigation Center. The planned route was from Novokuznetsk Airport (Spichenkovo) to a landing site near the village of Sosnovka, then to Lake Karakul, with an intended two-day stay at the lake and return on 12 December 2021. The flight was to be conducted under visual flight rules (VFR) at a true altitude of 300 meters. The purpose was general aviation (AON), specifically to maintain piloting skills and select landing sites from the air, as noted by the director of the operator company, OOO "Kustard." No passengers or cargo were carried.
Preflight Preparations
On 10 December 2021 at 01:46 local time, the pilot underwent a preflight medical examination at Novokuznetsk Airport. The source of the pilot's weather information before the flight is not specified. According to the aircraft's logbook, the helicopter was fueled with 280 liters of fuel, sufficient for the planned route.
Flight Execution
The pilot took off from Novokuznetsk at 02:51, following the filed route. The first landing occurred near Sosnovka at 03:02; the helicopter's engines were not shut down during this stop. At 03:05, the pilot departed from Sosnovka en route to Lake Karakul. The final landing on the lake was completed at 04:19.