hree crew members and 15 passengers were killed when a Russian helicopter crashed in Siberia on Saturday, 112 miles from the town of Igarka in the Krasnoyarsk Territory and 1,600 miles from Moscow.
The MI-8 helicopter aircraft belonged to Russian airline UTair. An criminal investigation has been opened surrounding the cause of the crash. Government official Svetlana Petrenko said authorities are looking into negligence and safety violation allegations, the BBC reported on Saturday.
Reports also state the helicopter was taking contract workers to an oil station owned by the state oil company Rosneft, according to The Guardian.
Assessments of the crash suggest that aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff. Blades struck the cargo being carried by another helicopter, causing it to fall to the ground and burst into flames. Helicopters often carry cargo suspended in net-like slings below the aircraft.
The Russian Transport Ministry said the crash occurred during normal weather conditions. The second helicopter was undamaged and landed safely.
A UTair statement said that the pilot had 6,000 hours of experience, 2,300 as a captain, The New York Times reported.
https://www.newsweek.com/helicopter-crash-kills-eighteen-russia-1057245