Accident Summary
On a day when the crew had completed crop spraying missions for the state farm of Rogotno, logging approximately 16 flight hours, they decided in the evening to take off from Malyushitsa (Korelichi district, Grodno region) to Rogotno (Dyatlovo district, Grodno region). Two unauthorized individuals joined the crew for this flight. En route, the aircraft encountered weather conditions below minima due to fog. The aircraft collided with trees and crashed in flames on hilly terrain approximately 2 km south-southwest of Basino (Novogrudok district, Grodno region), about 22 km northwest of Malyushitsa. The accident occurred nine minutes after sunset.
Flight Details
The crew had been engaged in agricultural spraying operations throughout the day. The flight from Malyushitsa to Rogotno was not authorized. The decision to take off was made after sunset without clear information about the weather conditions along the intended route.
Casualties
One passenger was killed in the accident. The three other occupants, including the crew members and the other passenger, were injured.
Probable Cause
The official findings stated that the crew decided to take off after sunset without clear information about weather conditions en route and was not authorized to initiate such a flight. Toxicology examinations revealed that the crew was not intoxicated at the time of the accident, whereas the passengers were intoxicated.