Incident Overview
The captain of an agricultural aircraft decided to complete a spraying mission without his copilot, instead taking an employee of the State farm 'Zimnyatsky' — for which the flight was dispatched — as a passenger. After successfully completing two spraying missions, the pilot chose to make a low pass above the hotel where he was staying. The aircraft passed at an altitude of approximately 50 to 75 meters.
Sequence of Events
Following the low pass, the pilot initiated a climb to between 200 and 250 meters. During this climb, the aircraft rolled to the left at an angle of 16° and then nosed down to an angle of 21°. Subsequently, the aircraft plunged and crashed, bursting into flames upon impact.
Casualties
Both occupants — the pilot and the employee of the State farm — were killed in the accident.
Probable Cause
According to official findings, the probable cause of the accident was that the pilot decided to attempt a flight without his copilot. Additionally, at the time of the accident, the pilot was intoxicated, with a blood alcohol level of 1.3‰, and the 'copilot' (the employee) had a level of 1.6‰.