A Russian Air Force Mil Mi-8 helicopter began spinning uncontrollably during takeoff from Anadyr Airport, Russia. The aircraft came down and burst into flames, killing the three crew members and engineer.
Authorities in the Chukotka autonomous area have confirmed the hard landing of the helicopter, adding that all four people on board are dead. The helicopter came down from a heaigh of 15 metres.
The Russian Ministry of Defence has also confirmed that the Mi-8 crew died in the crash.
While the exact cause of the crash remains unknown, initial data suggests a possible equipment malfunction.
“The preliminary cause of the helicopter crash is a technical malfunction”, the source said.
Flight recorders have been found at the crash site, the emergency services said, also noting the good condition of the devices.
“After the fire was extinguished, both black boxes were discovered – the flight data recorder and the onboard voice recorder”, the spokesman said, adding that the flight recorders were almost unaffected.
A special investigative group has been dispatched to the crash site to carry out a probe, where the aircraft’s black boxes have already been recovered.
