Flight Planning
On 1 February 2016, the pilot of helicopter RA-06239 submitted a flight plan via the internet-based flight plan submission system for a flight scheduled on 2 February 2016. According to information provided by the Moscow Air Traffic Management Center, the flight plan, request, and clearance were processed in accordance with established procedures.
The pilot reported planning a flight to check the helicopter after it had been parked for ten days. However, the engine (Rolls-Royce RR300/A1) manufacturer's recommended time between overhauls specifies that only a ground run is required after 45 days of inactivity.
The flight was to be conducted from the helicopter's permanent base at landing site Kirsanovka. The planned route was a flight within a 5 km radius of Kirsanovka, returning to the same site. The flight was planned under visual flight rules (VFR) in Class G airspace.
Preflight Preparations
The pilot conducted the preflight inspection independently at the landing site. He noted no issues with the helicopter's technical condition, as recorded in the logbook, although the entry was not signed by the pilot.
The helicopter had been refueled to full capacity (280 liters) after a previous flight on 20 January 2016. The pilot obtained weather information from the internet, and the forecast did not preclude the flight.
Takeoff
Before takeoff, a passenger boarded the helicopter. The helicopter departed from landing site Kirsanovka at 07:09 local time, as recorded by a surveillance camera. According to the pilot, the flight lasted approximately six minutes. The actual flight path is shown in Figure 3 of the source report.
No further details about the flight's outcome or any subsequent events are provided in the source.