What happened
During an approach to runway 25 at Surgut Airport, an Antonov AN-2 was operating in challenging weather conditions characterized by low visibility and cloud ceilings of only 130 meters. While descending at an altitude of approximately 150 meters, the aircraft struck a Mil Mi-8T, registration CCCP-25686. The helicopter had recently departed from Surgut Airport for Nefteyugansk, carrying 21 passengers and three crew members.
The impact caused both aircraft to crash into a nearby forested area, with the wreckage located roughly 600 meters apart. The accident resulted in 38 fatalities, as there were no survivors among the occupants of either aircraft.
Findings
Investigations revealed that the collision was primarily driven by errors in air traffic control coordination at Surgut Airport. Controllers permitted the Antonov AN-2 to proceed with its descent without having accurate information regarding its actual position. Furthermore, the tower failed to notify the crews of each other's presence within the traffic pattern and authorized the helicopter's takeoff without verifying the location of the descending fixed-wing aircraft.
Secondary contributing factors included the poor visibility caused by low cloud cover and the fact that the crew of the Antonov AN-2 continued their descent despite being below established weather minima.