Polar Airlines Flight 9949
An Mi-8 similar to the accident aircraft | |
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | 2 July 2013 |
| Summary | Controlled Flight into Terrain due to pilot error |
| Site | Deputatsky, Sakha Republic, Russia 69°42′27.8″N 139°26′18″E / 69.707722°N 139.43833°E |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | Mil Mi-8 |
| Operator | Polar Airlines |
| Registration | RA-22657 |
| Occupants | 28 |
| Passengers | 25 |
| Crew | 3 |
| Fatalities | 24 |
| Injuries | 4 |
| Survivors | 4 |
On 2 July 2013, Polar Airlines Flight 9949, a Mil Mi-8 helicopter operated by Polar Airlines crashed near Deputatsky, an urban locality of Ust-Yansky District in the Sakha Republic, Russia, with 25 passengers (including 11 children) and three crew members on board. According to a Ministry of Emergency Situations spokesman, 24 people died in the crash; the three crew members and a child survived. Early reports suggested that the pilot lost control of the helicopter due to strong winds. The crash was investigated by the Interstate Aviation Committee.