What happened
A flight traveling from Palana to Lesnaya encountered difficult weather and restricted visibility while approaching its destination. Because the landing site could not be identified, the crew elected to abort the approach and return to their point of origin in Palana.
During this diversion, the aircraft was operating at an altitude of less than 50 meters. As the pilot-in-command executed a right-hand turn, the plane lost altitude and impacted the water approximately 270 meters from the coastline. Of the people on board, one fatality occurred due to drowning, while five occupants managed to swim to the shore.
Findings
Investigations into the accident highlighted that the flight was not prepared in accordance with established procedures, and the crew had failed to establish communication with local air traffic control. The crash was precipitated by the loss of aircraft control during a turn performed at an insufficient altitude while navigating through turbulence and significant wind speeds.