A Russian Mi-8T helicopter carrying 22 people, including 19 passengers and 3 crew members, has gone missing in the Kamchatka Peninsula, eastern Russia. The aircraft, operated by the Vityaz-Aero airline, lost contact on Saturday, August 31, 2024, shortly after taking off from the Vachkazhets volcano area en route to Nikolaevka.According to the Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsia), the helicopter was scheduled to make contact at 07:15 Moscow time but failed to do so. The incident has prompted an immediate response from Russian authorities, with search and rescue operations launched involving additional helicopters and ground teams.However, rescue efforts are being hampered by adverse weather conditions in the area. Kamchatka Governor Vladimir Solodov reported that low cloud cover and rapidly deteriorating weather are complicating the search operation. The region around Nikolaevka airport, where the helicopter was supposed to land, is experiencing low visibility, further hindering location efforts.This incident has raised concerns about the safety of Mi-8 helicopters, which are widely used in Russia and other countries but have been involved in multiple accidents over the years. Notably, this is the second major accident involving a Vityaz-Aero helicopter in recent years. In August 2021, another Mi-8 from the same airline crashed in a lake on the Kronotsky Nature Reserve, resulting in eight fatalities.The Russian Investigative Committee has launched an inquiry into possible air traffic safety violations. As the search continues, authorities are urging caution and emphasizing the challenging nature of the rescue operation in the remote and rugged terrain of the Kamchatka Peninsula.
Key points
- A Russian Mi-8T helicopter with 22 people on board has gone missing in the Kamchatka Peninsula.
- Search and rescue operations are being hampered by poor weather conditions and low visibility.
- The incident has raised concerns about the safety of Mi-8 helicopters, following a history of accidents.
Contradictions👾There are slight discrepancies in the reported time of the incident, with some sources citing 07:15 Moscow time, while others mention 7:00.
