Accident Overview
A crop-spraying flight ended in a collision with a forest belt near Satyshevo, Tatarstan. The aircraft struck trees, crashed 170 metres beyond, caught fire, and was destroyed. One pilot was killed; the other was injured.
Flight Details
The mission was conducted for the sovkhoz 'Mars' in the Bogatyye Sady district of Tatarstan. The captain fell asleep during the flight, leaving the second pilot in command. While flying a low-altitude turn, the copilot failed to detect a forest belt in time.
Aftermath
The aircraft collided with trees 2 km west of Satyshevo, crashed, and burned out. The copilot survived with injuries.
Probable Cause
According to the official findings, the captain was asleep at the time of the accident and the copilot was managing the mission alone. It was reported that the crew was performing all spraying missions without any protection, while the pesticides used were highly toxic and dangerous. It was also noted that the altimeters were not connected at the time of the accident.