Background
Under purchase agreement No. 1/AV/24052011 and transfer deed dated May 24, 2011, the Mi-2 helicopter with registration RA-20815, previously owned by Avianita LLC, was sold to a private individual. On May 27, 2011, the helicopter was transported by truck from Tver to a landing site near the village of Andreevskaya in Kalininsky District, Krasnodar Krai, under a transport-forwarding services contract dated May 23, 2011, and an acceptance certificate dated May 27, 2011. At the landing site, owned by Andreevskoye LLC, the helicopter was stored under a parking space rental agreement No. 01/03 dated March 1, 2011.
The Day of the Accident
On June 22, 2011, according to the spouse of the new owner, a former Air Force aircraft technician and a former civil aviation pilot were on board. They had been invited to identify faulty components and cross-check their serial numbers with the aircraft's technical log. This information was needed to estimate the repair cost at an aircraft repair plant. After repairs and obtaining an airworthiness certificate, the owner planned to lease the helicopter.
At the end of the workday, as reported by the technician and a guard at the site, the pilot started the engines and took off without authorization. The helicopter flew 165 meters, then lost speed, made a hard landing in a field, rolled onto its left side, broke up, and caught fire. The pilot died. Witnesses stated that none of them saw the moment of takeoff or the crash. The accident occurred at approximately 13:55 local time. The accident site was in a field of ripening wheat at an elevation of 26 meters above sea level.