What happened
A flight traveling from Ventsy to Maykop ended in a fatal accident when the aircraft crashed in an open field approximately 3 km from the airport. The aircraft, a single-engine airplane, was operated with a crew consisting of two pilots and one mechanic.
During the approach to Maykop Airport, the flight encountered weather conditions that were below established minimums, characterized by a visibility of only 1 km and cloud bases as low as 100 metres. Because the crew could not visually identify the runway, air traffic control suggested a return to the departure point in Ventsy. However, the crew indicated that the aircraft was low on fuel.
Shortly after this exchange, the aircraft experienced an engine failure. The loss of power caused the plane to lose altitude, leading to the impact in the field. The resulting crash triggered a fire that consumed the wreckage. All three fatalities were confirmed among the occupants.
Findings
The accident occurred while the aircraft was in the approach phase of flight under degraded meteorological conditions. The primary sequence of events involved the inability to maintain visual contact with the runway due to low visibility, followed by a critical mechanical failure.