What happened
A flight originating from Irkutsk Airport was scheduled to travel to Nizhneangarsk with a planned stop in Kachug. The aircraft was transporting 800 kilograms of cargo for a geological expedition, accompanied by two pilots and one passenger. After refueling at Kachug Airport, the aircraft departed at 17:10LT under marginal weather conditions.
During the flight, the crew received clearance to descend from 2,700 meters to 2,300 meters. At 17:27LT, while maintaining an altitude of 2,300 meters, the crew contacted air traffic control to report their position near Touloun Lake and provided an estimated arrival time over Cape Sheremshan for 18:15LT. Following this communication, the aircraft failed to reach its destination or make further contact with authorities.
Search and rescue operations were launched after the flight was noted as missing. However, after 17 days of searching, the mission was terminated because no wreckage or survivors could be located. It is suspected that the aircraft crashed in a mountainous area northwest of Baikal Lake, near the border of the Republic of Buryatia and Irskutsk oblast.
Findings
Because the wreckage of the aircraft was never recovered, an official determination of the accident cause remains impossible. Investigators considered three potential scenarios:
- Loss of control resulting from severe icing conditions
- Mechanical engine failure
- Controlled flight into terrain while operating within cloud cover