Moscow: A Mi-8 helicopter belonging to the private airline Vzlet has gone missing during a flight from the remote settlement of Okhotsk to the city of Magadan in Russia’s Far East, state-run TASS news agency reported on Monday, citing emergency services.
The aircraft reportedly lost communication during the scheduled flight, raising alarm among aviation authorities. “At the appointed time, during the flight from Okhotsk to Magadan, the Mi-8 helicopter failed to respond to communication attempts,” a source from the emergency services told TASS.
According to initial details, the helicopter was carrying five people—three crew members and two technicians—who were en route after completing repair work. In response, another Mi-8 helicopter was dispatched from Okhotsk to initiate the search, while an An-26 aircraft from Magadan is also assisting in the operation.
The aviation unit of Russia’s Emergencies Ministry has launched a full-scale search operation across the rugged terrain of the Far East region, where the helicopter is believed to have gone missing.
The incident adds to a series of aviation concerns in the region in recent months. Just last month, another Mi-8 helicopter was forced to make an emergency landing due to technical malfunctions near the village of Shchetinino in Tver Region while flying from Zmeevo airport to inspect a gas pipeline near Smolensk. Fortunately, the crew and aircraft emerged unharmed.
In June, an An-2 aircraft went missing in Yakutia after its emergency radio beacon was activated. The plane was later located, and all onboard were reported safe.
However, not all recent incidents have ended without tragedy. In March, a Mi-8 helicopter crash in the Magadan region claimed two lives and injured two others. The helicopter had been transporting 20 mine workers when it made a hard landing 75 kilometres from Evensk in Magadan Oblast.
The disappearance of the latest Mi-8 has once again drawn attention to aviation safety concerns in the vast and often unforgiving terrains of Russia’s Far East. Search and rescue teams continue their efforts, with hopes of locating the missing helicopter and its crew safely.
