Flight Details
On 3 October 2018, a helicopter of type AS 350 B3e, registration RA-07272, owned by Region Group Leasing, was scheduled for a general aviation flight. The planned route was from Heliport-Moscow (initial point) to Ples, and then to the geographic point Tarnoga (coordinates 60°41′ N, 43°09′ E). The flight was conducted under an airspace usage request submitted by Heliport-M LLC. The intended departure time was 06:50.
Preflight Preparations
The pilot-in-command (PIC) arrived at Heliport-Moscow approximately 1.5 hours before the planned departure. The PIC did not undergo a preflight medical examination; instead, the PIC made the decision to be fit for duty independently. This practice is permitted under the relevant regulations (FAP-128 paragraph 8.10.1), which allow the PIC to self-certify when a medical professional is not available at the departure site.
Aeronautical and meteorological information was obtained by the PIC from the Roshydromet website (www.metavia2.ru). The weather forecast along the route met the PIC's minimum weather requirements for visual flight rules (VFR) operations.
Aircraft preparation was performed on 2 and 3 October 2018 by technical personnel from Aviamarket Ltd at Heliport-Moscow. Before departure from Heliport-Moscow, the helicopter was fueled with 540 liters of TS-1 jet fuel, representing a full fuel load.
Personnel
The helicopter carried the PIC and two passengers. One passenger occupied the front left seat adjacent to the PIC, and the second passenger sat in one of the seats in the second row.
Takeoff from the initial point (Heliport-Moscow) occurred at 07:19.