No Survivors After Mi-8 Helicopter Goes Down in Oryol Region of Russia

The crew of the helicopter that crashed in Russia's Oryol Region has died, according to the headquarters of the Moscow Military District. The Mi-8 was conducting a scheduled flight, and the preliminary cause of the crash is believed to be a technical malfunction, the military added.

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Mi-8 helicopter

The Mi-8 helicopter crashed during a planned flight in the Oryol Region, and the crew perished, RIA Novosti reported, citing the press service of the Moscow Military District.

A technical malfunction was cited as the preliminary cause of the accident. A commission from the Russian Aerospace Forces has been dispatched to the crash site.

"The helicopter crashed in an uninhabited area. There is no destruction on the ground,” Interfax quoted the MVO press service as saying.

The crash occurred near the village of Naryshkino in the Uritsky District of Oryol Region. According to the Emergency Situations Department, the helicopter went down in a field. Telegram channels Mash and Shot reported that two crew members — the pilot and the flight engineer — were killed. The channels cited engine failure as the likely cause.

Oryol Region Governor Andrey Klychkov stated that there is no threat to residents of the village. "Emergency services and law enforcement are conducting operations on-site,” he said.

Local residents said that they heard explosions after the helicopter crashed.

Telegram channel 112 reported that there were no munitions onboard the crashed helicopter.

Details

The Mil Mi-8 (Russian: Ми-8, NATO reporting name: Hip) is a medium twin-turbine helicopter, originally designed by the Soviet Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute (TsAGI) in the 1960s and introduced into the Soviet Air Force in 1968. Russian production of the aircraft model still continues as of 2024. In addition to its most common role as a transport helicopter, the Mi-8 is also used as an airborne command post, armed gunship, and reconnaissance platform. The Mi-8 is the world's most-produced helicopter, with over 17,000 units used by over 50 countries. As of 2015, when combined with the related Mil Mi-17, the two helicopters are the third most common operational military aircraft in the world.