Sterlitamak – Zilair – Akyar – Orsk – Akyar – Sterlitamak

On February 6, 2016 at 12:44 PM, Sterlitamak – Zilair – Akyar – Orsk – Akyar – Sterlitamak experienced a crash involving PZL-Mielec AN-2, operated by Light Air, with the event recorded near Gai Orenburg oblast.

The flight was categorized as survey / patrol / reconnaissance and the reported phase was flight at a plain, valley crash site.

3 people were known to be on board, 3 fatalities were recorded, 0 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 100.0%.

Crew on board: 2, crew fatalities: 2, passengers on board: 1, passenger fatalities: 1, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is human factor. The crew was performing a flight from Sterlitamak to Orsk and return via Zilair and Akyar, taking part to an oil pipeline survey mission on behalf of the oil company Transneft. While flying at low height in marginal weather conditions, the crew initiated a turn when the single engine impacted the ground and crashed in a snowy field located 2 km southwest of Gai, about 25 km north of Orsk. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and all three occupants were killed. There was no fire. At the time of the accident, the visibility was reduced to 800 metres and down to 300 metres locally. The cloud base was at 90 metres with freezing fog.

Aircraft reference details include registration RA-40204, MSN 1G219-54, year of manufacture 1986.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 51.4615°, 58.4414°.