A missile hit is thought to be the most probable cause of the crash of the Mil Mi-26 helicopter on 19 August, in which 115 people are believed to have died.
The Russian army aviation helicopter caught fire at 650ft (200m) on approach to Khankala air base, the major military aerodrome in North Caucasus. Russia's general prosecutor Vladimir Ustinov says evidence at the crash site supports both missile strike and technical failure as likely causes, although the former is considered most likely.
The heavily loaded Mi-26, carrying 147 people (more than authorised), some of whom may have been civilians, was flying slow and low. Chechen rebels operate near Khankala, and a used Strela portable missile-launcher was found in a nearby village on 21 August. Mi-8 helicopter pilots escorting the Mi-26 saw a missile trail before the helicopter caught fire, and report two explosions: one mid-air, the other after the crash landing.
Both ZMKB Progress D-136 engines are believed to have failed after the first explosion, forcing the crew to land 300m from the air base. The Mi-26 was badly damaged, with the rear ramp-door jammed shut, leaving only small side-doors for evacuation. Many of the 115 people killed burned to death. Only 33 of 142 in the cabin were rescued, but six died later. All five crew survived the crash.
Russian defence minister Sergei Ivanov has "temporarily relieved" Gen Vitaly Pavlov of his army aviation command for "infringements of orders not directly related to the Mi-26 catastrophe" - believed to refer to the helicopter carriage of civilians.
Pavlov was made commander in 1989, and is one of the most distinguished officers in the Russian armed forces.
Before the crash, he said "army Mi-26s had often carried up to 225 soldiers instead of the 86 officially permitted".
Source: Flight International
