What happened
On a scheduled cargo flight departing from Vologda Airport at 11:04 local time, an aircraft carrying 1,020 kilograms of fish was traveling toward Saint-Petersburg. Approximately ten minutes after takeoff, while maintaining an altitude of 200 meters and a speed of 173 km/h, the plane encountered another aircraft in mid-air. This second aircraft, an Aeroflot PZL-Mielec AN-2 with registration CCCP-09667, was operating a flight from Ust-Kubinsk to Vologda carrying two crew members and 12 passengers.
At the time of the impact, visibility was significantly reduced by ongoing snowfall. The collision caused both aircraft to descend into a marshy region situated 23 km north of Vologda. Search efforts located the debris from both planes approximately 220 meters apart. There were 16 fatalities in total, as every person on both flights perished in the crash.
Findings
Investigations into the accident identified that adverse weather conditions and low visibility caused by snow were primary factors. Additionally, the findings highlighted insufficient assistance from air traffic control and improper decision-making during the flight.