What happened
A mission intended to identify suitable landing sites across the Laptev Sea and the broader Arctic region resulted in the loss of an aircraft. The flight departed from Chokurdakh Airport with a total of nine people on board, consisting of five crew members and four scientists.
During the operation, the pilot performed a landing on a moving ice floe. Following the touchdown, the aircraft's skis penetrated the surface of the ice, causing the plane to settle into the frozen structure. While all nine occupants were able to evacuate the aircraft without sustaining any injuries, the vessel subsequently sank and was destroyed.
Findings
- The primary factor in the loss of the aircraft was the failure of the ice surface to support the weight of the plane, leading to the skis breaking through the floe.