Circumstances
A single-engine airplane departed Us-Khatyn on a cargo flight to Vertikal'nyy, carrying one passenger and two pilots. En route, weather conditions worsened and visibility was reduced due to fog. The airplane impacted tree tops and crashed on the slope of a wooded terrain located about 46 km southeast of the village of Sebyan-Kyuyol.
Search and Rescue
The flight was scheduled to last 2 hours and 30 minutes. When the airplane failed to arrive at its destination, search and rescue operations were initiated. The wreckage was found 10 days later, on July 1st, in an uninhabited area. Both pilots were killed, and the passenger was found alive after having taken refuge in a fishing house where he was able to obtain food.
Probable Cause
The official investigation determined the probable cause as controlled flight into terrain after the crew continued to fly under visual flight rules (VFR) in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC). Contributing factors were identified: an unreasonable flight decision taken by the flight crew, the forecasted weather on the declared route did not ensure compliance with air traffic control, and failure of the pilot-in-command to take timely measures to return to the departure airfield or to take other actions to change the flight plan.