Tourist Helicopter Crash in Eastern Russia Kills All 22 Onboard

A tourist helicopter carrying 22 people, including 19 tourists and three crew members, crashed into a forested area in eastern Russia after taking off from a volcano in Kamchatka on Saturday, killing everyone onboard.

The Mi-8T helicopter, operated by the company Vityaz-Aero, went down shortly after departing from the 5,085-foot-high Vachkazhets volcano on a short 15-mile journey to Nikolaevka.

The wreckage was discovered in a clearing on a forested slope at an altitude of 2,950 feet near its last known location, around 4,400 miles east of Moscow.

Among the victims was businesswoman Nadezhda Gordinskaya, who had been sharing photos of Russia’s dramatic landscapes on her Instagram, reflecting the growing trend of domestic tourism in the country amid Western sanctions.

Her social media accounts are now filled with messages from friends and followers mourning her loss.

The crash also claimed the lives of Arseny Zamyatin, the financial director of the Russian Football Union, and his wife Polina. The Russian Football Union released a statement expressing their condolences, saying, “Our thoughts are with the relatives of Arseny and Polina.”

This tragic incident is not the first for Vityaz-Aero in the Kamchatka region. Three years ago, another of the company’s helicopters crashed into a lake, killing eight people. The company’s owner, Kirill Seregin, is believed to have been on Saturday’s ill-fated flight, which had promised tourists a chance to observe brown bears in their natural habitat.

Search and rescue teams, battling low clouds and strong winds, found the burnt-out remains of the helicopter on Sunday morning. Video footage of the site showed no signs of survivors.

Seventeen bodies have been recovered so far, and the search operation has been temporarily suspended due to adverse weather conditions, with efforts expected to resume on Monday.

Kamchatka Governor Vladimir Solodov confirmed the ongoing land operation, stating, “The land operation continues, all groups have been [given coordinates] of the debris site. Everything is being done to get specialists at the site to establish all the details.”

A criminal investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the crash. Initial reports suggest that thick fog may have led to a pilot error. The pilot, Denis Bleshchik, 38, was described by colleagues as highly experienced, with 12 years of flying experience.

The Mi-8 helicopter model, originally produced during the Soviet era, remains widely used across Russia, despite safety concerns.

In a previous crash involving Vityaz-Aero’s Mi-8 helicopter at the Kronotsky Nature Reserve, eight people were killed, and eight others survived. An investigation into that incident revealed multiple safety breaches.

As the investigation continues, Russia’s aviation authorities will be closely examining the circumstances surrounding this latest tragedy to prevent further such incidents in the region, known for its harsh weather and challenging terrain.