Background
In April 2016, an expedition named "In the Footsteps of Two Captains" was organized at the Istra Aeroclub base. The objective was to determine the likely drift route of the schooner "Saint Anna," which disappeared in the Arctic in 1914. Eight participants flew from Moscow in three Robinson R66 helicopters.
Flight Plan and Route
The planned itinerary on April 17, 2016, was: Heliport Istra – Velsk – Mezen – Naryan-Mar – Amderma – Ostrov Belyy – Mys Zhelaniya (Novaya Zemlya) – Nagurskaya. According to the flight plan, the first overnight stop was scheduled at Naryan-Mar Airport. However, due to weather conditions, the group could not reach Naryan-Mar and landed at a landing site near the settlement of Nizhnyaya Pesha.
Continuation and Weather Concerns
On April 18, 2016, the group resumed the flight and landed at Amderma Airport at 18:02 local time (13:02 UTC). After landing, the approach controller asked about the next destination. Upon receiving the reply "To Ostrov Belyy," the controller informed the group leader: "The weather on the island has been reported as 500 and 60." The leader responded: "Understood, we will analyze; we have different information." The helicopters were refueled, and the group leader submitted a flight plan to the Air Traffic Management Center for the route Amderma – Ostrov Belyy. According to expedition members, during pre-flight preparation, the group leader checked the weather forecast for Ostrov Belyy via satellite phone (the source of the weather information could not be determined). He did not consult the Amderma Airport meteorological station. The pre-flight preparation continued.