What happened
During a nighttime operation, a single-engine aircraft was attempting to approach an inactive airfield when it struck the ground and crashed in an open field. The impact resulted in the total destruction of the aircraft. There was no fire reported following the collision. Both individuals on board, the pilot and one passenger, were killed in the accident.
Investigations into the flight revealed that the aircraft was being operated under unauthorized circumstances. The flight was allegedly transporting a cargo of cigarettes from Belarus. Furthermore, the aircraft was identified as being operated with an invalid registration. While the aircraft displayed the registration SP-AOD on the lower left wing, it was officially identified as UR-54853.
Findings
Records indicate that the registration UR-54853 was invalid because the aircraft had previously been involved in an accident in Ukraine on 07FEB2013. The aircraft had been operating illegally under this registration since the summer of 2013. The fatalities involved two people, and the single-engine aircraft was lost during the approach phase of flight.