What happened
On January 2, 2010, a Robinson R-44 Raven II, registration RA-04244, operated by ZAO Elektrotekhnicheskaya Kompaniya, performed an unauthorized flight near the village of Stozhki in the Perm Krai. While the original flight plan for December 26, 2009, had scheduled a flight from Froly to a landing site near Stozhkovo, the pilot departed from the Stozhkovo area to the ice of the Kama River near Maloye Baidino for fishing purposes.
At 07:45, the pilot initiated a takeoff on a magnetic heading of 40° without obtaining clearance from Air Traffic Control or notifying the Perm Approach controller. During the takeoff, the aircraft encountered heavy snowfall, blizzard conditions, and a snow vortex. Because the river ice was completely covered in snow, there were no visible landmarks along the flight path.
As the pilot accelerated, GPS data indicates the aircraft flew approximately 300 meters with fluctuating headings. During this period, the aircraft experienced an involuntary descent from an altitude of roughly 50 meters. The helicopter's skids struck the snow-covered ice, causing them to become embedded under the ice crust and break off. This impact caused the aircraft to pitch forward into a dive.
Following the loss of the skids, the main rotor blades struck the icy surface of the river. The impact caused the aircraft to spin to the right, resulting in the separation of the tail boom, the fracturing of the fuselage, and an ensuing fire. The pilot was trapped between fragments of the cockpit and the fuselage, sustaining one injury involving burns and physical trauma. Local fishermen rescued the pilot from the wreckage before emergency services arrived.
The investigation
Investigators reviewed GPS telemetry which showed the aircraft's flight path and the unintended loss of altitude. The investigation also examined the environmental conditions, noting the lack of visibility due to the blizzard and the uniform white appearance of the terrain.