What happened
During an agricultural spraying operation for the Abinsk kolkhoz, a flight crew was performing a series of scheduled rotations. The day's mission began at 04:40 local time, with fifteen successful passes completed prior to a midday break. At 18:20 local time, the crew resumed operations to perform four additional rotations.
While the first three passes of the afternoon session proceeded without incident, difficulties arose during the final rotation. The Antonov An-2 was operated at an inadequate altitude during this last pass. While attempting a sharp right-hand turn, the aircraft reached a bank angle of 45 degrees before the nose pitched downward. The plane struck a field at a velocity of 180 km/h.
The accident resulted in two fatalities. The captain died at the scene of the crash, while the copilot sustained serious injuries and succumbed to them four hours after the impact.
Findings
Investigations into the crash determined that the crew began the final rotation in an improper configuration. This error, combined with the low altitude maintained during the maneuver, meant there was insufficient clearance between the aircraft and the terrain to recover from the steep bank and prevent the collision.