What happened
On the flight path between Tavda Airport and Tyumen, a single-engine aircraft operating as flight SU801CH departed from Tavda carrying two crew members and 12 passengers. Shortly after takeoff, the pilot received clearance to climb to 150 meters while proceeding southward.
During the cruise phase, the aircraft encountered challenging meteorological conditions characterized by rainfall, low cloud ceilings, and visibility restricted to approximately 2 km. At an altitude of roughly 175 meters, the plane struck an Antonov AN-2, registration CCCP-15925, which was performing a scheduled service from Tyumen back to Tavda with 15 occupants.
Following the impact, both aircraft lost stability and entered a steep descent. The wreckage of both planes crashed into an open field situated 18 km south of Tavda, where they ignited upon impact. Investigators located the two debris fields 392 meters apart. There were 29 fatalities in total, representing all individuals on both flights.
Findings
Investigations concluded that the collision occurred because both flight crews were operating under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) despite the presence of adverse weather. Furthermore, the incident was exacerbated by a lack of adequate air traffic control assistance during the flight.