What happened
On the afternoon of the incident, the aircraft departed from Kolezhma with a scheduled destination of Sosnovets. Taking advantage of favorable weather conditions, the pilot elected to fly significantly lower than standard procedures require. The airplane traveled approximately 45 kilometers westward while maintaining an altitude between 10 and 15 meters above the ground. During this low-level transit, the right wing struck a tall pine tree in a forested area, resulting in a crash.
The pilot was killed in the accident. The passenger sustained injuries but managed to walk several kilometers through the terrain until assistance was located. Search efforts for the wreckage were unsuccessful; however, it is estimated that the aircraft came down roughly 25 kilometers north of Belomorsk.
Findings
The official investigation concluded that the primary factor leading to the accident was the pilot's decision to violate safety regulations. Specifically, the operator failed to adhere to the minimum prescribed altitude of 50 metres, which directly resulted in the collision with the tree.