The Daily Populous Monday September 2nd, 2024 evening edition
Authored by dailyrecord.co.uk and submitted by AdBrod

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A tourist helicopter has crashed near a volcano in Russia, killing 22 passengers on board.

The aircraft had been flying near the mountain in the Far East after it went missing in bad weather conditions on Saturday. The country's emergencies ministry said the bodies of 17 people had been found.

Teams continue to search for the remaining occupants. The helicopter, which was operated by Vityaz-Aero, was carrying tourists, according to local media.

All those on board are presumed to have died, Russian state news agency RIA Novosti said, citing the Emergencies Ministry, adding the helicopter had likely crashed due to poor visibility in bad weather conditions.

The emergencies ministry wrote on Telegram: "The wreckage of the previously missing helicopter was discovered from the air. It is located at an altitude of 900 meters (2,950 feet) near the place where it was last contacted."

As reported in the Mirror, the Mi-8 helicopter took off close to the Vachkazhets volcano in the Kamchatka region but didn't arrive at its destination as scheduled, Russia's Federal Air Transport Agency earlier said in a statement. It is believed 19 passengers and three crew members were on board.

The Mi-8 is a two-engine helicopter designed in the 1960s. The aircraft is widely used in Russia, where crashes have been frequent, as well as in neighbouring countries and many other nations.

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Russian media describe Vityaz-Aero as one of the largest air carriers in the Kamchatka region. After a helicopter crash in 2021, in which eight people were killed, authorities banned the company from transporting passengers pending an investigation into a possible violation of flight safety rules.

Vityaz-Aero is the biggest of several local carriers which fly tourists to the Kronotsky reserve, a top tourist attraction that houses Russia’s only geyser basin. Kamchatka, a pristine peninsula with numerous volcanoes, is known for its rugged beauty and rich wildlife.

The crash comes just months after a Russian Sukhoi Superjet 100 passenger plane crashed in Russia on its first flight since repairs. The crew of three were all killed on a flight without passengers as the aircraft went down near Moscow The captain, Yevgeniy Bulavko, was reportedly killed along with co-pilot Maxim Lukmanov and flight attendant Vladislav Kharlamov some three hours after repairs on the jet had been completed.

Footage from before the crash shows the plane flying in the air steadily. Reports indicate the pilot issued a distress call and the aircraft circled to burn fuel ahead of an intended emergency landing. He is believed to have diverted the aircraft away from built up areas - the villages of the villages of Apraksino and Maloe Karasevo - areas and it crashed in a forest.

The aircraft exploded on impact triggering a column of black smoke.

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efequalma on September 2nd, 2024 at 12:00 UTC »

Adventure Tourism is riskier than many believe. Throw in a soviet-era Mi-8 and the risk increases. RIP.

macross1984 on September 2nd, 2024 at 11:42 UTC »

The cause of crash could be weather, pilot error, equipment failure, or lack of proper maintenance.

Oh, maybe corruption and difficulty obtaining parts due to sanctions.

FantasticWhisper on September 2nd, 2024 at 11:32 UTC »

The hell is wrong with their helicopters. Seem to be falling out lf the sky every other week.