What happened
Following the completion of agricultural spraying tasks for the 'Garsky' sovkhoz in the Sokolsky region, an aircraft departed Sokolsky at 17:13 local time. The flight was intended as a ferry mission to Ivanovo. On board were three crew members and one passenger who had boarded without authorization.
While the single-engine airplane was maintaining a low altitude during the cruise phase, the aircraft became uncontrollable. It subsequently crashed into a forested area situated approximately 2 km northwest of Degtyarnovo, where it caught fire upon impact. Search teams located the charred remains of the wreckage later that evening. The accident resulted in four fatalities, claiming the lives of all occupants on board.
Findings
Investigations revealed that every person on board, including the pilot, co-pilot, mechanic, and the unauthorized passenger, was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash. The crew had consumed alcohol throughout the day and leading up to the departure from Sokolsky. Extreme alcohol intoxication among the occupants led to a lack of discipline and significant distraction, which caused the pilot to lose control of the aircraft. Blood alcohol measurements recorded levels of 5.4‰ for the captain, 2‰ for the co-pilot, 4.4‰ for the mechanic, and 2.5‰ for the passenger.