What happened
On January 1, 2016, at 05:16, a Bell-429 helicopter, registration RA-01617, departed from the Rybatskoye heliport, which serves as its primary base. The flight was intended to transport four passengers to Rostov-on-Don airport, with a planned return to the Rybatskoye heliport. The flight was conducted according to flight plan No 300706URRVZDZS. The crew consisted of two pilots, with the right-hand pilot acting as the pilot-in-command and the left-hand pilot responsible for monitoring and communications.
Prior to departure, the pilot-in-command received meteorological information from the Rostov-on-Don airport dispatcher via telephone. The weather conditions, both forecasted and actual, were deemed suitable for the mission. The aircraft's takeoff mass was approximately 3100 kg, which was within the maximum takeoff and landing weight limit of 3175 kg specified in the flight manual. Additionally, the center of gravity was recorded at 5700 mm, falling within the permitted range of 5634 mm to 5824 mm for a 3100 kg takeoff weight.
The investigation
The investigation reviewed the flight planning and pre-flight procedures. It was noted that the pilot-in-command performed his own medical self-assessment and authorized himself for flight, a practice that was found to be in compliance with existing Federal Aviation Regulations. The investigation also confirmed that the airspace usage request had been submitted to the air traffic management center at 03:47 on the day of the flight, and flight conditions had been communicated accordingly.