What happened
On August 14, 2015, a Robinson R44, registration RA-04339, completed a scheduled flight from Yakutsk to a landing site near Neryungri. The flight was operated by the personal pilot of the CEO of ZAO KIGOK, who traveled as a passenger. After landing at approximately 07:00 at a private business site, the pilot handed the keys to the CEO and departed for Neryungri.
Later that morning, at the request of the site owner's family members, the CEO decided to operate the helicopter as pilot-in-command to demonstrate the aircraft. At approximately 10:50, the pilot took off from the site with two passengers seated in the co-pilot seat. During the flight, the pilot executed a left turn at an altitude of roughly 6 meters. During this maneuver, the main rotor blade struck a 6-meter-tall wooden utility pole.
The impact caused the aircraft to become uncontrollable. The helicopter descended, the left skid struck the ground, and the aircraft overturned onto its right side, subsequently catching fire. The two passengers managed to evacuate the aircraft on their own. The pilot was unable to exit the burning wreckage independently and had to be rescued by a witness to the accident.
Findings
- The accident occurred during an unauthorized flight intended for demonstration purposes.
- The collision of the main rotor blade with a wooden utility pole led to the loss of control and the subsequent fire.