What happened
In April 2016, an expedition titled "In the Footsteps of Two Captains" was organized by the Istra Aero Club. The mission aimed to trace the historical drift path of the schooner "Saint Anna," which disappeared in the Arctic in 1914. On April 17, 2016, eight expedition members departed from Moscow in three Robinson R66 helicopters. The planned flight path included stops at Velky, Mezen, Naryan-Mar, Amderma, Beliy Island, Cape Zhelaniya, and Nagurskoye.
Due to unfavorable weather conditions, the group was unable to reach their first planned overnight stop at Naryan-Mar airport, instead landing at a site near the settlement of Nizhnyaya Pesha. On April 18, 2016, the group continued their flight, landing at Amderma airport at 18:02 local time. Following the landing, the helicopters were refueled, and the group leader submitted a flight plan for the leg from Amderma to Beliy Island.
The investigation
During the post-landing period, an air traffic controller contacted the group leader to inquire about their next destination. When the leader stated they were heading to Beliy Island, the controller warned that weather reports for the island indicated visibility of only 500 meters and a ceiling of 60 meters. The group leader responded that they would analyze the information, noting they had received different weather data.
Investigation into the pre-flight preparations revealed that the group leader had used a satellite phone to verify the weather forecast for Beliy Island through an unidentified source. However, the group leader did not seek consultation or verification from the meteorological station at Amderma airport before proceeding with flight preparations.