Aircraft Transfer and Maintenance
On 25 June 2025, Aviakompania Convers Avia (the aircraft owner) and APK VZLET entered into a lease agreement (No. AP-02-25) for the helicopter Mi-8T, registration RA-25660. Under this dry lease, APK VZLET obtained temporary use of the helicopter. Maintenance services for APK VZLET's aircraft are provided by Service Soprovozhdenie Vertoletov under a separate maintenance contract (No. 11/22-TO dated 1 October 2022).
From 10 to 11 July 2025, specialists from Service Soprovozhdenie Vertoletov conducted the acceptance inspection of the helicopter at the Berezovaya landing site (located near the settlement of Berezovy, Solnechny District, Khabarovsk Krai).
Test Flight
On 13 July 2025, flight crew from APK VZLET performed a test flight of the helicopter. According to the results, no discrepancies or issues were identified.
Planned Ferry Flight
The helicopter was scheduled for a ferry flight to relocate to the site of aviation operations at the Nezabudka landing site (Bilibino, Chukotka Autonomous Okrug). The planned route was: Berezovaya landing site – Okhotsk landing site – Magadan aerodrome – Omsukchan aerodrome – Nezabudka landing site.
Flight Plan Filings
On 13 July 2025, the dispatcher responsible for the daily flight schedule at APK VZLET's production-dispatch service submitted flight plans via the internet to the Planning and Coordination Center for Airspace Use of the Regional Center of the Unified Air Traffic Management System (Khabarovsk):
- At 11:42 UTC: a plan for the leg from Berezovaya to Okhotsk, with a scheduled departure time of 22:00 UTC on 13 July 2025.
- At 11:47 UTC: a plan for the leg from Okhotsk to Magadan aerodrome, with a scheduled departure time of 05:00 UTC on 14 July 2025.
The flights were intended to be conducted in Class C and G airspace. Permissions were obtained.