Accident Details
On the day of the accident, a crop-spraying flight was being conducted for the sovkhoz (state farm) 'Vrachevo Gorki', located in the Lukhovitsy district of the Moscow region. During the flight, the crew encountered thick smoke emanating from burning peatlands. The smoke severely reduced visibility, with horizontal visibility at the time of the accident not exceeding 50 meters.
The crew suffered a spatial disorientation, leading to a loss of control. The airplane nosed down at an angle between 45 and 60 degrees before crashing in flames on a bank of the Oka River, near the settlement of Perevitskiy Torzhok. The crash site was approximately 4 kilometers from the airstrip.
The impact and subsequent fire destroyed the aircraft. Both pilots on board were killed.
Probable Cause
The official investigation determined that the probable cause of the accident was a loss of control after the crew suffered a spatial disorientation in reduced visibility.