Accident Antonov An-2R RA-40312,

ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 320917

Date:	Monday 11 June 2012
Time:	22:00
Type:	Antonov An-2R
Owner/operator:	Avia Zov
Registration:	RA-40312
MSN:	1G221-48
Year of manufacture:	1986
Total airframe hrs:	3966 hours
Engine model:	Shvetsov ASh-62IR
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 13 / Occupants: 13
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed, written off
Category:	Accident
Location:	10 km SW of Serov, Sverdlovsk region - Russia
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Illegal Flight
Departure airport:
Destination airport:
Investigating agency:	MAK
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
An Antonov 2 biplane, RA-40312, was destroyed in an accident near Serov, Sverdlovsk region, Russia after being taken on an illegal flight. All thirteen on board were killed.
In the evening of June 11, the Eve of Russia's Day, a group of people were having a drinking party at the airfield near the city of Serov, Russia. They than managed to illegally take An-2 plane parked at the airfield to fly for fishing or sauna party elsewhere.
Among the men were the Chief of Serov city police, three police inspectors, the guard of the airport, a private company guard, a pensionist, a young unemployed guy and a local mobile shop owner. The exact destination of the flight remains unknown.
The airplane was reported missing an a search operation was initiated. Because of deteriorating weather conditions the search was called off on November 13, 2012. Almost 300,000 square kilometers were searched.
Early May 2013, local hunters accidentally found the wreckage in hard-to-access terrain. It was found that the airplane probably touched tree tops with the left wing, causing the aircraft to spin to the left. It then collided with the ground at an angle close to 90° and burst into flames.

The cause of the crash of the An-2 RA-40312 was a flight at a height well below the safe altitude by the pilot, which led to a collision with a tree and a further crash of the aircraft.

Accident investigation: