What happened
During an agricultural mission for the 'Krasny Partizan' kolkhoz, an aircraft was performing crop spraying duties north of Taganrog in the Rostov oblast. The flight was being conducted without authorization from air traffic control services. While navigating the region, the crew encountered weather conditions that fell below established safety minima, characterized by extremely low visibility caused by dense fog.
As the aircraft was executing a right-hand turn at a low altitude, the pilot experienced spatial disorientation. This led to a loss of control, resulting in the aircraft impacting a snow-covered field. The crash occurred approximately 5,750 metres west of Nikolayevo-Kozlovski. The accident resulted in two fatalities, as both pilots on board were killed.
Findings
Investigations into the accident determined that the primary factor was the crew's inability to maintain control of the aircraft following a period of spatial disorientation during flight.