Accident
An aircraft departed from Sibay Airport carrying 13 passengers and a crew of three, including one inspector. Despite marginal weather conditions, the crew initiated the flight under visual flight rules (VFR). Shortly after takeoff, the crew failed to follow the prescribed departure route and deviated from the published course.
Approximately half an hour into the flight, weather conditions deteriorated, with low clouds forming. After the aircraft entered clouds, the captain decided to return to Sibay, but this decision was made too late. At that point, the aircraft had strayed 45 kilometers to the northeast of its intended route.
While executing a left turn while still in clouds, the crew did not realize that the aircraft's altitude had become too low. At an altitude of 980 meters, the aircraft collided with trees and crashed on the slope of Mount Masim, which has an elevation of 1,040 meters. Despite the impact, all 16 individuals on board were rescued. Among them, three passengers sustained injuries.
Probable Cause
The official investigation identified the following factors as contributing to the accident:
- Poor flight planning and preparation,
- The crew's decision to continue the flight under VFR mode in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC),
- The crew deviated from the initial course and then continued over mountainous terrain below the minimum prescribed altitude,
- The flight inspector failed to verify that the crew prepared the flight according to published procedures,
- Lack of air traffic control (ATC) assistance,
- Lack of visibility due to low clouds.