What happened
On February 2, 2016, a flight plan was submitted via the internet for a mission involving a Robinson R6 6 helicopter, registration RA-06239. The flight was scheduled to depart from the Kirsanovka landing site, which serves as the helicopter's permanent base, and return to the same location after a flight within a 5 km radius. The mission was intended to be conducted under visual flight rules (VFR) within Class G airspace.
The pilot took off from Kirsanovka at 07:09. A passenger was on board during the flight. According to the pilot, the flight lasted approximately six minutes. Prior to departure, the pilot conducted a pre-flight inspection personally and noted no technical issues with the aircraft in the logbook, though the entry lacked the pilot's signature. The aircraft had been refueled to its full capacity of 280 liters following a previous flight on January 20, 2016. Meteorological information for the flight was obtained by the pilot via the internet, and the forecast weather was not considered an obstacle to the operation.
The investigation
The investigation reviewed the flight plan submission process through the Moscow Air Traffic Control Center and examined the pilot's stated intentions. The pilot indicated that the purpose of the flight was to perform a check flight after the helicopter had been stationary for ten days. The investigation also looked into the maintenance requirements for the RR300/A1 (Rolls-Royce) engine, noting that according to maintenance protocols, a ground run is only required after 45 days of inactivity.