Flight History
On 14 August 2022, a Robinson R-44 helicopter registered RA-04385 conducted two flights. The first flight departed at 09:01:46 from the territory of PJSC "Goldman Group," where the helicopter's hangar and landing pad are located. The helicopter landed at 09:27:30 at a location selected from the air—a geotagged spot on the bank of the Mana River. The purpose of this flight could not be determined.
The second flight began with a takeoff from the same riverside geotag at 10:13:06. The flight lasted approximately 4 minutes and proceeded along the Mana River. Around 10:17, in the area of the "Manskaya Zaimka" recreation base, the accident occurred.
Investigation Details
All flights were conducted in Class G airspace. According to the Regional Center of the Single Air Traffic Management System (Krasnoyarsk), no notification (flight plan) was received by the center. No authorization for the use of airspace was issued. No information about the departure of this aircraft was available. The crew of RA-04385 did not conduct radio communication with air traffic control.
The individual who performed the flights on 14 August 2022 could not be identified. At the start of the investigation, the owner of the helicopter had died. The owner's son, who holds a pilot license, stated that he did not conduct the flights on that day and was unaware of who did. According to available information, he was the only person with a power of attorney to operate flights.
No information about preflight preparation, preflight inspection, or refueling of the aircraft was available.