What happened
The incident occurred while the aircraft was returning to its base following a combat mission. The pilot encountered deteriorating weather conditions, specifically heavy rainfall. While flying at an extremely low altitude of approximately 25-30 metres, the airplane descended and impacted the ground. The crash site was located roughly 100 metres from the village of Dolbinskiye Vyselki. The impact destroyed the aircraft, and the pilot was killed in the accident.
Findings
The official investigation identified the primary contributing factors as the pilot's decision to continue the flight despite poor weather conditions. Additionally, the report highlighted overconfidence displayed by the crew while operating at night as a significant element in the sequence of events leading to the crash.