What happened
A training mission involving a three-engine airplane was underway at Rostov-on-Don Airport with five crew members on board, including an instructor and two student pilots. After completing seven successful approaches at the airport, declining weather conditions reduced visibility below required minimums. To continue the session, the instructor elected to divert to Krasnodar, located approximately 250 km to the southwest, and received vectors for this new destination. At the start of the diversion, the aircraft had an estimated fuel reserve of 2 hours and 30 minutes.
During the flight, the crew lost their navigational orientation. Due to inadequate assistance from Air Traffic Control (ATC), the crew was unable to determine their precise position or successfully navigate to Krasnodar. Approximately one hour later, all three engines ceased operation because of fuel exhaustion. The crew attempted an emergency landing, resulting in the aircraft striking an open field, sliding a significant distance, and colliding with several trees. The wreckage was located 43 km from Tikhoretsk. While all five occupants were rescued, the instructor and captain sustained injuries, while the remaining three crew members were unharmed. The aircraft was destroyed.
Findings
The investigation determined that the crew did not effectively utilize integrated navigation and radionavigation equipment and failed to properly assess the deteriorating weather conditions during the flight. Furthermore, ATC services in both Rostov and Krasnodar provided insufficient support; controllers issued confusing instructions regarding reporting points and allowed the aircraft to descend from 5,100 meters to 1,800 meters for a Krasnodar approach despite being outside the airport's vicinity. Contributing factors included inadequate mission preparation, poor flight organization, and significant systemic shortcomings in the management of the Rostov and Krasnodar control zones.