3 RUSSIAN FIREFIGHTERS KILLED IN HELICOPTER CRASH – LODD
September 22, 2016
3 Russian Firefighters have died in the Line of Duty when one of its helicopters crashed near Moscow. The Mi-8 helicopter went down during a training detail late Wednesday, killing Roman Frolov, the Chief of the Zhukovsky aviation rescue center, and two other men. It crashed into a forest about 10 kilometers (6 miles) southeast of the capital.
The cause of the crash wasn’t immediately clear, but some Russian reports mentioned engine failure as a possible cause.
The Emergencies Ministry on Thursday praised Chief Frolov as a seasoned professional who has proven his skills in putting down forest fires and other missions. The twin-engine Mi-8 has been a mainstay of Soviet and then Russian aviation since it entered service in the late 1960s and also has been widely used worldwide. (Sample photo of the twin-engine Mi-8)
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Russian Emergencies Ministry confirms its helicopter’s crash in Moscow region
September 22, 3:50 UTC+3
The Russian Emergencies Ministry has put three of its units on alert after the crash
MOSCOW, September 22 /TASS/. The Russian Emergencies Ministry has confirmed the crash of its helicopter in the Moscow region.
"A Mi-8 helicopter of the Russian Emergencies Ministry crashed during a training flight when the crew was drilling rescue operations in extremely difficult conditions in the Lubertsy district," the Russian Emergencies Ministry press service told TASS.
Three Russian Emergencies Ministry units put on alert
The Russian Emergencies Ministry has put three of its units on alert after the ministry’s Mi-8 helicopter crashed in the Moscow region late on Wednesday.
"The main Emergencies Ministry department for the Moscow region; the ministry’s central regional center and the Zhukovsky-based rescue aviation center have switched over to the emergency situation regime in the connection with the Mi-8 crash," the the ministry’s central regional center told TASS.
A regional law enforcement source told TASS two pilots and a flight engineer were onboard.
"The crew’s captain, Roman Frolov, the head of the Zhukovsky-based Emergencies Ministry rescue aviation center; his deputy pilot Dmitry Arsentyev and flight engineer Maxim Filippov," the source said adding that Frolov had been Arsentyev’s instructor.
"They drilled rescue and monitoring operations in difficult weather conditions at night time," the source stressed.
The crew tried to take the vehicle away from highways and populated localities
The crew of the Russian Emergencies Ministry Mi-8 helicopter, which crashed in the Moscow region late on Wednesday could have tried to take the vehicle away from highways and populated localities when they understood that a technical breakdown might have occurred onboard, an aviation source told TASS.
"It looks as if the crew tried to lead the helicopter away from the populated localities. It fell down in the Tomilino forest park between the settlements of Mirnyi and Oktyabrsky - just one kilometer away from Oktyabrsky and 1.5 kilometers away from the Lytkarino highway," the source explained.
According to preliminary reports, there are no casualties or destruction on the ground. The crashed Mi-8 helicopter had been stationed at an air base in Zhukovsky near Moscow, which is a home to the Russian Emergencies Ministry aviation unit.
The accident occurred in the Lubertsy district of the Moscow region on Wednesday night. The fire at the crash site has been extinguished. The bodies of three crew members have been found. The Russian Investigation Committee has started a pre-trail investigation.
More:
http://tass.com/society/901373
Date:
21-SEP-2016
Time:
Type:
Mil Mi-8P
Owner/operator: Russian Emergencies Ministry
Registration: RF-32825
C/n / msn: 8714
Fatalities: Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3
Other fatalities: 0
Airplane damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location: Lubertsy district, Moscow region -
Russia Phase: En route
Nature: Training
Departure airport:
Destination airport:
Narrative:
The helicopter crashed during a training exercise in extreme weather conditions. All three occupants died in the crash.
Sources:
http://tass.com/society/901373
FlightGlobal Ascend
http://en.mchs.ru/summary/latest_information/item/32900976/