What happened
During an aerial spraying mission for the sovkhoz 'Mars' in the Bogatyye Saby district of Tatarstan, an aircraft crashed into a forest belt. The flight was being conducted at a low altitude when the aircraft struck trees approximately 2 km west of Satyshevo. Following the initial impact, the plane continued for another 170 metres before crashing and subsequently catching fire, which resulted in the total destruction of the airframe.
The incident resulted in one fatality and one injury. The crew was performing agricultural duties involving the dispersal of pesticides at the time of the accident.
Findings
Investigations into the crash revealed that the captain had fallen asleep in the cockpit, leaving the second pilot in command to manage the flight alone. During a low-altitude turn, the co-pilot failed to identify the approaching forest belt in time to avoid the collision.
Several contributing factors were identified, including the fact that the captain was asleep during the flight. Additionally, it was noted that the aircraft's altimeters were not connected at the time of the accident. The crew was also reportedly performing spraying operations without any protective equipment, despite the high toxicity of the pesticides being used.