Accident Details
An aircraft departed Khabarovsk on a mail flight to Kurung, a gold mine located in the Konder Mountain Range. While flying at a height of about 15 meters, the captain instructed a passenger and the third pilot to jettison the mail bags. During this operation, the aircraft struck a high larch and crashed, bursting into flames. Both pilots were killed, while the other two occupants sustained injuries.
The mission did not authorize the jettisoning of mail bags; the captain had arbitrarily changed the procedure.
Probable Cause
The official investigation determined that the crew misjudged the distance with trees while jettisoning mail bags at low height.