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2024 Kamchatka Mil Mi-8 crash

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Adapted from the English Wikipedia article 2024 Kamchatka Mil Mi-8 crash, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 29 November 202512 sources
Vityaz-Aero
Company typePrivate
IndustryAviation, Tourism
Headquarters
Kamchatka Krai
,
Russia
Area served
Kamchatka region
Key people
Viktor Sirotin (former CEO), Dmitry Zadirey (former Deputy CEO for Flight Operations)
ProductsTourist flights, sightseeing flights
Number of employees
63 pilots (not all compliant with training requirements) (2024)


Template:Infobox aircraft occurrence

On 31 August 2024, a Mil Mi-8 helicopter conducting a scheduled charter flight crashed in Kamchatka Krai, Russia, resulting in the deaths of all 22 individuals aboard. Operated by Vityaz-Aero, the aircraft was engaged in a sightseeing mission over the Vachkazhets [ru] volcano when it went down shortly after takeoff amid unfavorable weather conditions.

Aircraft

The helicopter involved was a Mil Mi-8T model, registered as RA-25656, with a manufacturing year of 1992 and serial number 99254295. It had been in service for 32 years.[1][2] Vityaz-Aero operated this aircraft,[3][4] a company specializing in tourist flights within the region.[5] The helicopter had accumulated a total flight time of 4,492 hours.[6]: 16  It was powered by a pair of Klimov TV2-117A engines.[7]: 18 

Vityaz-Aero acquired the helicopter eleven years before the accident and named it in honor of local aviator Vladimir Samarsky. The aircraft held an air operator's certificate valid from 1 March 2022 until its expiration on 17 February 2028.[8][7]: 17  According to Viktor Sirotin, CEO of Vityaz-Aero, the helicopter was maintained in sound mechanical condition.[9]

Passengers and crew

The flight returning from an expedition to the extinct Vachkazhets volcano included 19 passengers. This trip had been arranged by the Kamchatka Freeride Community in collaboration with the Moscow-based tour operator Bolshaya Strana. Among those traveling were Arseny Zamyatin, who served as the chief financial officer of the Russian Football Union, accompanied by his wife, Polina Zamyatina. Also on board was Kirill Seregin, a prominent figure within the Kamchatka Freeride Community known for his expertise in extreme sports and guiding experience, along with Mikhail Repnikov and Yulia Repnikova, the founders of Bolshaya Strana. Of the total passengers, 18 held Russian citizenship while one was a citizen of Kazakhstan.

The helicopter was piloted by 38-year-old Captain Denis Bleshchik, who had accumulated twelve years of experience flying helicopters and logged over 5,728 hours specifically on the Mil Mi-8. A former coworker confirmed that Bleshchik possessed all required certifications to operate the aircraft. The first officer was a 23-year-old man with more than 297 hours of flight time exclusively on the Mil Mi-8. The flight engineer was a 29-year-old male boasting over 2,328 hours of flight experience, including 1,726 hours on the Mil Mi-8.

Accident

Around 16:15 PETT (UTC+12:00), shortly after departure, the helicopter vanished from radar. It was scheduled to establish contact at approximately that time but did not.[10] Prior to losing contact, the crew had not reported any issues.[4] Despite adverse weather conditions, eyewitnesses confirmed the aircraft had taken off.[11] Meteorological authorities noted low visibility at the departure location.Cite error: Closing </ref> missing for <ref> tag The ministry later verified that all 22 occupants had perished.[12] On 2 September, officials announced that all remains had been recovered and transferred to forensic services in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, marking the conclusion of the search and rescue mission.Cite error: Closing </ref> missing for <ref> tag In total, the operation involved 39 personnel, 14 pieces of equipment, four Mil Mi-8 helicopters, and one Antonov An-26 aircraft equipped with a mobile phone tracking device.[7]: 28 

Aftermath

The Governor of Kamchatka Krai, Vladimir Solodov, proclaimed 3 September as a day of mourning to commemorate those who lost their lives,<ref> and extended his sympathies to the bereaved families.<ref> Following the incident, on 13 September, the founders of Vityaz-Aero relieved CEO Viktor Sirotin of his duties, with Deputy CEO for Flight Operations Dmitry Zadirey also being dismissed.<ref> During September, investigations conducted by Rosaviatsiya and the Federal Service for Supervision of Transport revealed numerous breaches within the airline's operations. It was discovered that none of the airline's 63 pilots had completed mandatory flight training, while over half of the fleet failed to comply with required airworthiness standards. Three helicopters were identified as operating under hazardous conditions due to 46 detected defects. Maintenance tasks were performed by unqualified personnel lacking appropriate tools and documentation. Moreover, ten aviation accidents and incidents had been concealed, and 17 pilots were found to have exceeded allowable working hours. These findings led to the suspension of various flights, the temporary removal of 50 employees from engineering and aviation roles, and a ban on operating eight aircraft.<ref> Consequently, Rosaviatsiya revoked the airline's air operator's certificate.<ref>

Investigation

On 1 September, the Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC) was notified of the incident by the Kamchatka MTU, an interregional territorial administration of Rosaviatsia, at 20:19. Following this, the IAC, together with Rosaviatsia, initiated a formal inquiry into the crash. Concurrently, the regional office of the Investigative Committee of Russia (ICRF) launched a criminal investigation under Part 3 of Article 263 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, addressing breaches of traffic safety regulations and negligent operation of air transport leading to multiple fatalities. The ICRF indicated that potential causes under consideration included either pilot error or mechanical failure.

On 2 September, investigators recovered both the flight data recorder (FDR) and the GPS navigator from the crash site. Subsequently, it was reported that the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) had also been located, albeit damaged. Both devices were forwarded to the IAC for detailed examination.

The IAC’s initial findings suggested that adverse weather conditions at the time, combined with the crew’s insufficient preparation for operating in instrument meteorological conditions, likely contributed significantly to the accident.

In March 2025, the IAC published its final report concluding that the helicopter collided with terrain in conditions of poor visibility due to flying into IMC against air traffic control instructions, compounded by the pilot’s decision to descend into mountainous terrain under these conditions and shortcomings on the part of Vityaz-Aero regarding flight safety management.

Notes

References

  1. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named IAC Entry
  2. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Altair
  3. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named CNN
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named bbc
  5. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named mtfound
  6. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named IAC Final report
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named IAC Preliminary
  8. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Kamchatka Baluev
  9. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Izvestia Condition
  10. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Euromaidan
  11. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Izvestia
  12. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Kommersant

External links

  • "Окончательный отчет вертолет Ми-8Т RA-25656" [Final report helicopter Mi-8T RA-25656] (PDF) (in русский). Interstate Aviation Committee. 24 March 2025. Archived (PDF) from the original on 30 March 2025. Retrieved 30 March 2025.


Template:Aviation accidents and incidents in 2024 Template:Aviation accidents and incidents in Russia in the 2020s

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