Background
On 7 February 2018, a contract (No. 7511) was signed between the state enterprise KrasAvia and the company Vikkar for the provision of air transportation services for passengers, baggage, and cargo. Pursuant to the contract and a flight request dated 24 February 2018 (No. 2), KrasAvia was to transport two passengers and ten barrels of aviation fuel from Sredny Island to Cape Arctic on Komsomolets Island for Vikkar. The flight was scheduled for 24 February 2018.
Flight Crew and Aircraft
The crew assigned for the mission belonged to the Khatanga aviation group of the helicopter squadron within KrasAvia's flight complex. It consisted of a pilot-in-command (PIC), a co-pilot, and a flight engineer. The aircraft designated for the operation was a Mil Mi-8T helicopter, registration RA-22793.
Planning and Preparation
To facilitate the cargo transport from Sredny Island to Cape Arctic, the crew was required to first fly from Khatanga Airport to the Sredny Island landing site. On 22 February 2018, the crew received and signed off on flight assignments:
- No. 02/60, flight SSJ 9029, departing 23 February 2018 on the route Khatanga – Lake Taymyr – Sredny Island;
- No. 02/61 and 02/62, flight SSJ 9029, route Sredny Island – Cape Arctic – Sredny Island;
- No. 02/63, flight SSJ 9029, route Sredny Island – Lake Taymyr – Khatanga.
Preliminary preparation and readiness checks for the flights were conducted under the supervision of the commander of the Khatanga aviation group.
Flight to Sredny Island
On 23 February 2018, the crew performed the flight to Sredny Island following the route Khatanga – Lake Taymyr – Sredny Island landing site. During the stop at Lake Taymyr, no refueling took place. After landing at the Sredny Island site, the helicopter was refueled with 2,000 liters of fuel and loaded with cargo—20 barrels of aviation fuel.
Incident on 24 February 2018
On 24 February 2018, the helicopter took off with two passengers on board. While executing a landing at Cape Arctic, the helicopter tipped over onto its left side. The crew shut down the engines and de-energized the aircraft. There was no fire.
Probable Cause
No probable cause was stated in the source material.