Two UTair helicopters took-off close to each other at the Vankor oil field. The first take-off was carried out by the Mi-8AMT helicopter with an external cargo and without passengers on board. The second was performed by Mi-8AMT RA-25640 with passengers (oil workers reportedly employed by Rosneft).
According to preliminary information, after take-off, the passenger Mi-8AMT collided with the external load of the other helicopter, crashed about 2km from the airfield and caught fire. All 3 crew members and 15 passengers were killed.
The crew of the other helicopter dropped the external cargo suspension and landed, the crew of that helicopter were uninjured.
The helicopters' data recorders have been recovered, appear undamaged and will be sent to Moscow for analysis.
Sources:
https://mak-iac.org/en/rassledovaniya/mi-8amt-ra-25640-04-08-2018/
https://www.favt.ru/novosti-novosti/?id=4491
https://sputniknews.com/russia/201610221046606273-siberia-helicopter-crash/
http://www.rudaw.net/mobile/kurmanci/world/04082018
http://www.ntv.ru/novosti/2056004/?sn
http://tass.com/emergencies/1016025
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-russia-helicopter/eighteen-killed-in-russian-helicopter-crash-in-siberia-idUSKBN1KP086?il=0
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/aug/04/russian-helicopter-crash-mi-8-utair-siberia-kills-18-people
https://themoscowtimes.com/news/eighteen-oil-workers-killed-in-helicopter-collision-in-siberia-62441
https://mak-iac.org/en/rassledovaniya/mi-8amt-ra-25640-04-08-2018/
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vankor_Field
| ate: | 04-AUG-2018 |
| Time: | 10:20 LT |
| Type: |  Mil Mi-8AMT |
| Owner/operator: | UTair |
| Registration: | RA-25640 |
| C/n / msn: | 8AMT00643084205U |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 18 / Occupants: 18 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Written off (damaged beyond repair) |
| Location: | near Igarka, Turukhansk, Krasnoyarsk region, Siberia -
 Russia
|
| Phase: | Take off |
| Nature: | Non Scheduled Passenger |
| Departure airport: | Vankor |
| Tarko-Sale |