Incident Overview
On August 14, 2015, a Robinson R-44 helicopter (registration RA-04339) operated by the general director of ZAO KIGOK departed from Yakutsk to a site near Neryungri. The flight was conducted under an approved flight plan and airspace usage permit. After landing, the personal pilot handed the helicopter keys to the director and left. Later, at the request of the grandson and son of an individual entrepreneur, the director decided to serve as pilot-in-command and perform a demonstration flight over the site.
Sequence of Events
Around 10:50 local time, the pilot-in-command took off from the site with two passengers seated together in the right-hand pilot seat. According to video evidence provided by a witness, after takeoff the helicopter flew over the site at an altitude of approximately 6 meters with a left bank of about 15 degrees. During a subsequent left bank of about 25 degrees, the main rotor blade struck a wooden lighting pole that was 6 meters tall. The impact rendered the helicopter uncontrollable. It began to descend, the left skid contacted the ground, and the helicopter rolled onto its right side, subsequently catching fire.
Post-Crash Actions
The pilot-in-command was unable to exit the burning helicopter unaided and was rescued by a witness. The two passengers evacuated the aircraft on their own.
Investigation Findings
The investigation analyzed the video recording of the accident sequence. The collision occurred during a low-altitude maneuvering flight over the landing site.