2024 Kamchatka Mil Mi-8 crash
Vityaz-Aero Mil Mi-8T · Crashed in poor weather conditions
From Near Vachkazhets volcano, Kamchatka Krai, Russia to Nikolayevka, Kamchatka Krai, Russia
Event
- Event typeAccident: someone killed or seriously injured, or the aircraft substantially damaged (NTSB definition). Incident: an occurrence that affected or could have affected safety, short of that. Glossary
- Accident
- Event fatalities
- 22 · all aircraft and ground
- Ground fatalities
- Unknown
- Occupants
- 22
- Survivors
- 0
- InjuriesFatal: death within 30 days. Serious: over 48 hours in hospital within a week, most broken bones, severe bleeding, nerve or organ damage, or serious burns. Minor: anything less. Glossary
- Unknown
- OperationWhat kind of flying it was, grouped by the rules it flew under: airline (US Part 121), air taxi and commuter (Part 135), general aviation (Part 91 and similar), military or government. Glossary
- Charter & commuter
Mil Mi-8T
- Aircraft type
- Mil MI-8
- Category
- Helicopter · from aircraft type
- RegistrationThe aircraft's tail number, such as N12345 or G-ABCD. Registrations are reissued, so the same one years apart can be a different aircraft. Glossary
- RA-25656
- Operator
- Vityaz-Aero
- Onboard fatalities
- 22
- Route
- From Near Vachkazhets volcano, Kamchatka Krai, RussiaTo Nikolayevka, Kamchatka Krai, Russia
Cause areas
- Personnel issues › Action/decision
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena
- Organizational issues › Management
From the investigation findings the Wikipedia article reports, sorted into the NTSB's cause areas with AI assistance.
Approximate · Coordinates from the Wikipedia article; not checked against an investigation report.
From the Wikipedia article
On 31 August 2024, a Mil Mi-8 helicopter operating a scheduled charter flight crashed in Kamchatka Krai, Russia, killing all 22 people on board. The aircraft, which was operated by Vityaz-Aero on a sightseeing tour over the Vachkazhets volcano, crashed in poor weather shortly after take-off.
Accident
The helicopter disappeared from radar at around 16:15 PETT (UTC+12:00) shortly after takeoff. It was due to establish communication at around the same time but failed to do so. No difficulties were reported by the crew before the disappearance. Eyewitnesses stated that despite the poor weather, the aircraft still took off. Weather officials said that there was poor visibility in the area where it took off. The Kamchatka Department of Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring reported that fog and drizzle were present in the area of the accident. The wreckage was found in a hilly area at an elevation of 900 m near the point of the last communication, about 20 km from its destination at Nikolayevka, Yelizovsky District.
Investigation and cause
Investigation
On 1 September, the Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC), informed of the accident by the Kamchatka MTU of Rosaviatsia at 20:19, launched an investigation into the accident, along with Rosaviatsia. The local branch of the Investigative Committee of Russia (ICRF) opened a criminal case under Part 3 of Article 263 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation on the violation of traffic safety rules and operation of air transport resulting through negligence in the deaths of two or more persons. The ICRF said that pilot error or a technical malfunction were possible causes of the accident.
On 2 September, the flight data recorder (FDR), and the GPS navigator were recovered. It was later announced that the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) had also been found, but reportedly in a damaged state. Both recorders were sent to the IAC for analysis.
The IAC's preliminary report found that the poor weather conditions present at the time of the accident, coupled with the crew's lack of preparedness for the flight in instrument meteorological conditions could have been key factors.
In March 2025, the IAC determined in their final report that the helicopter had crashed into terrain in low visibility due to its flight into instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) contrary to the ATC, the pilot's decision to descend into mountainous terrain in IMC conditions, and Vityaz-Aero's shortcoming in ensuring flight safety.
Text from the Wikipedia article “2024 Kamchatka Mil Mi-8 crash” (revision 1367085629, retrieved 2026-09-18) by its authors, under CC BY-SA 4.0. Extracted as plain text: references, tables, images and some sections are left out. Read the article
Sources
Wikipedia article: 2024 Kamchatka Mil Mi-8 crash
- Revision
- 1367085629 · 2026-07-31 · retrieved 2026-09-18
- Wikidata
- Q130215030
- Licence
- Text CC BY-SA 4.0, by the article's authors; Wikidata CC0; town positions GeoNames (CC BY 4.0)
Where each value comes from
- Record
- Wikipedia article "2024 Kamchatka Mil Mi-8 crash" (page 77763075, revision 1367085629)
- Date
- Wikipedia infobox: date
- Place and country
- Wikipedia infobox: site
- Map position
- Wikipedia article coordinates
- Aircraft, operator and route
- Wikipedia infobox: aircraft type, registration, operator, origin and destination; route airports from the linked airport articles' Wikidata codes (OurAirports)
- Operation
- Reviewed correction (2026-09-26): A Vityaz-Aero Mi-8 on a sightseeing tour: a charter sightseeing flight. The article: "The aircraft, which was operated by Vityaz-Aero on a sightseeing tour over the Vachkazhets volcano"
- Fatalities
- Wikipedia infobox: aircraft fatalities
- Ground fatalities
- not stated in the Wikipedia infobox
- Summary
- Wikipedia infobox: summary
Source notes (1)
- Wikipedia · Facts from the Wikipedia article's infobox and coordinates, not checked against an investigation report. Independent review pending.