What happened
On May 31, 2018, a crew from Polar Airlines took delivery of a Mi-8T, registration RA-25350, following maintenance performed by the OZGA enterprise in Omsk. The flight, designated as flight YP 9935, was intended to ferry the aircraft from Omsk to Yakutsk via several intermediate stops, including Novosibirsk, Krasnoyarsk, Bratsk, Ust-Kut, and Lensk. The crew, consisting of a pilot-in-command, a co-pilot, and a flight mechanic, was also transporting two technical passengers for maintenance purposes.
At 04:03:20 on June 1, 2018, the helicopter departed from the OZGA facility. While flying at an altitude of approximately 175 meters, a bird strike occurred when a bird entered the air intake of the left engine. In response to the engine ingestion, the pilot performed a forced landing.
The investigation
The investigation examined the flight path and the circumstances surrounding the engine failure. It was noted that the aircraft was operating on a ferry flight following engine tests conducted on May 31. The investigation confirmed that the aircraft sustained substantial damage during the emergency landing procedure. There were no reports of fire during the flight or upon impact with the ground.