Russian military helicopter crashes in Chukotka, crew killed

A military helicopter crashed Tuesday at an airport in Russia’s remote eastern Chukotka region, killing all four people on board, the governor said.

A video caught the horrific Mi-8 incident in which four servicemen died at the main military and civilian airport near Anadyr.

 

“There were three crew members and one technician on board. All four died,” governor Roman Kopin wrote on his Instagram account.

Russian agencies reported that it was a Mi-8 helicopter which was doing a test flight after undergoing technical maintenance.

The helicopter crashed moments after takeoff earlier today.

The video shows the Mi-8 swaying from side to side and apparently flipping moments before hitting the ground and bursting into flames.

Two black boxes were found at the site, a Chukotka regional government representative told RIA Novosti news agency.

“The reason for the accident could be a technical fault with the helicopter,” TASS news agency quoted a defence ministry statement as saying.