Accident Details
The accident involved a Mil Mi-2 helicopter, registration RA-23731. The flight was conducted in the interests of general aviation. The helicopter departed from the 'Yuzhnaya' landing site in Srednekolymsk at approximately 22:00 local time on 3 October 2020.
Flight History
The pilot-in-command, who also owned the aircraft, initially flew a route from the Yuzhnaya site to a geographic point 50 km southeast of Srednekolymsk where a hunting lodge was located. On board were the pilot and six passengers: an aviation technician and a group of photographers. According to the pilot, after landing near the hunting lodge to unload cargo (personal belongings of the photographers) and drop off one passenger, the helicopter continued with five passengers to survey an area suitable for photography. The flight operated within a 15–20 km radius from the takeoff point.
After selecting a suitable location for the photography group, the pilot performed a hover discharge of the passengers. The helicopter then took off with only the pilot and one passenger (the aviation technician) on board to find a landing site for parking and waiting for the photography group.
Accident Sequence
At approximately 23:00, during the landing on a site selected from the air, the helicopter rolled over onto its right side. Subsequently, the main rotor blades struck the ground, leading to the destruction of the helicopter.
Aftermath
The pilot and the passenger (aviation technician) were not injured and evacuated the helicopter on their own. The helicopter was destroyed.