Incident Overview
On 10 March 2010, a Robinson R-44 helicopter, registration RA-04163, operated by a private owner who also served as the pilot-in-command (a recreational pilot), conducted an unauthorized flight. The intended route was from the settlement of Letnyaya Zolotitsa (on the coast of the White Sea, Arkhangelsk Region) to the village of Derevyannoe (Prionezhsky District, Republic of Karelia), with a planned continuation to Moscow; the intended landing site in Moscow was not established. The helicopter carried one passenger, the pilot's wife.
Flight Operations
No flight plan was submitted, and the departure was made without air traffic control clearance. During the segment from Letnyaya Zolotitsa to Derevyannoe, the flight was conducted without radio communication. Eyewitnesses reported that weather conditions at the time of departure from Letnyaya Zolotitsa were good.
Accident Sequence
During the final stage of the flight, as the helicopter approached Derevyannoe, it collided with the ice-covered, snow-covered surface of Kondopoga Bay in Lake Onega.
Investigative Findings
The investigation did not specify a probable cause for the accident. The account is based solely on the official source.