VLADIVOSTOK, May 3. /TASS/. The bodies of three people who died in the crash of the Robinson-44 helicopter earlier on Tuesday have been delivered to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, the press service of the Russian Emergencies Ministry’s regional department told TASS.
"The bodies of three people were found - a crew member and two passengers. The victims were blocked in the cabin. The rescuers recovered their bodies from the wreckage using a hydraulic rescue tool and delivered them to the regional center," the press service said.
Eyewitnesses said the Robinson-44 private helicopter crashed earlier on Tuesday off the cost of Russkaya Bay, 80 kilometers away from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.
According to preliminary data, it was owned by a local entrepreneur aged 60. The helicopter fell in the mountainous terrain, but there was no fire at the crash site.
Criminal proceedings have been initiated under Article 263 of Russia’s Criminal Code (violation of safety rules and operation of air transport entailing death of two and more persons due to inadvertency). The possible causes of the emergency are not discussed yet. However, it is known that the flight took place in favorable weather conditions. The temperature was plus 5 degrees Celsius, there was weak wind and no fog. It also known that the flight was registered but the pilot deviated from the declared route.