Incident Overview
A positioning flight from Baku to Kharkov, en route for overhaul, was proceeding on the leg from Kizlyar to Stavropov when the crew encountered below-minima weather conditions characterized by low clouds and snowfall. Despite the adverse conditions, the flying crew decided not to return and instead continued the flight.
Accident Details
The aircraft subsequently struck the slope of a mountain located northwest of Dubovka in the Aleksandrovskoye district of the Stavropol region. The impact resulted in the death of the pilot and a passenger, who was an aircraft mechanic. The second pilot sustained serious injuries.
Investigation Findings
The official investigation determined that the probable cause of the accident was poor judgement on the part of the flying crew, who decided to continue the flight in poor weather conditions. Contributing factors included a lack of ATC assistance and some technical issues with the VHF radio systems.