Video footage of a Mi-8 helicopter making a hard landing near a highway in Sakhalin.

A multipurpose Mi-8 helicopter made an emergency landing on Russia's largest island, Sakhalin, part of the eponymous region in the east of the country. This is one of the most widely used helicopters in the world. stories aviation and the most widely produced twin-engine helicopter. Test pilots call the Soviet-Russian helicopter one of the most reliable in the world.

For reasons still unknown, the helicopter crew made a hard landing near a road near the airfield in the village of Sokol in the Dolinsky District. The landing was captured on the dashcam of a car driving in the opposite direction. Footage was posted on social media by an eyewitness.

The footage shows the helicopter, nose-down, flying straight along the highway, and at the last moment, veering slightly to the side, landing in a ditch on the side of the road. The helicopter came to a stop, its nose buried in trees. The crew may have been attempting to land the helicopter on the road to slow down and prevent it from rolling over.

By a lucky coincidence, traffic was light on the road at the time of the crash. Drivers in the oncoming lane reacted quickly and swerved away from the falling vehicle, avoiding a collision. There were simply no oncoming vehicles in the helicopter's slip path.

According to available information, the aircraft sustained damage to a blade and clipped several trees. No one was injured on the roadway.

There were eight people on board the helicopter: three crew members, an election commission employee, and journalists, according to the Sakhalin Regional Election Commission press service. All of them escaped with bruises and scratches.

A hydraulic system malfunction may have caused the crash. A definitive investigation will be conducted. Emergency services are working at the crash site.

Comments

[Amateur]

Everyone is alive, and the rest is nonsense!

[expert]

"The helicopter crew made a hard landing for reasons still unknown... "
The reason is already known. The plane simply ran out of fuel. It was just a few kilometers short of the airfield. Literally about ten liters short.

[Evgeny64]

Yes, apparently he wanted to stay on the road, but he saw the truck and swerved into the forest belt, the driver didn't have time to leave the road. Perhaps the vertical lift had some kind of malfunction, trying to land it "softly" on the road.

[Blanket]

The pilots clearly spared the van, if not for the Gazelle, which could have veered to the right and gone off course. But perhaps there's a deep ditch to the right (not visible in the video) or the driver was out of his mind.

[Sergey Kirakosyan]

A clause should be added to the traffic regulations: "When two vehicles, one of which is a helicopter, are on the road at the same time, the driver of a Gazelle is required to pull over to the right and reduce speed until the vehicle comes to a complete stop."

[mErLin68]

According to Russian Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR-136), Chapter VIII: "Priority by Aircraft Type/Speed ​​(Yield of Way): An aircraft with greater maneuverability or higher speed is obliged to yield to less maneuverable or slower aircraft." A helicopter is faster than a Gazelle. He did everything right.

[your1970]

Quote: Fachmann

The reason is already known. They simply ran out of fuel.

I seriously doubt it - fuel is calculated based on flights, and if the non-expendable reserve is used up, it's a melon in the commander's face.

[Evgeny64]

Yes, indeed, the information has already appeared in all the media, they have officially announced that the fuel has run out, both engines have stopped.
Apparently this happens.

[Piramidon]

Quote: Fachmann

The reason is already known. They simply ran out of fuel.

That's unlikely. No pilot would fly until he'd run out of kerosene, unless his tanks had suddenly leaked.

[traveler 63]

The Mi-8 has three main fuel tanks. Even if ALL transfer pumps fail, a service tank with a capacity of 450 liters remains, or nearly 30 minutes of flight time (depending on load, weather conditions, etc.).

[WUA 518]

If the van driver hadn't pulled over and gone to the side of the road, the helicopter would have fit on the highway, but it turned out the way it did.

[Smoked]

Well, damn, I'm sorry, he messed up. You're used to helicopters flying in the opposite direction.

[Alexey Lantukh]

If the van driver hadn't pulled over and pulled over to the side of the road, the helicopter would have fit on the highway, but it turned out the way it did.

Well, judging by the video, the helicopter started cutting down treetops, which caused it to drift off the road. It's likely repairable.

[WUA 518]

If the driver had been brave enough to swerve into the ditch, he would have made it. But as it was, he was dumbfounded, understandably.

[Free Island]

Well, yes, so every day we have helicopters landing on the highway here, it's time for drivers to get used to it and stop being stupid😂😂😂

[traveler 63]

It wouldn't have helped! Even if it had driven off the asphalt! The width of a two-lane road is 6 meters of asphalt plus a meter of shoulder, for a total of 6 meters. The rotor diameter on the Mi-8 is 21 meters, so...do the math yourself.

[Alexey Lantukh]

So, what do you think about what I wrote above: "Well, judging by the video, the helicopter started cutting down the treetops, which is what pulled it off the road." And can a helicopter steer with its wheel?

[traveler 63]

The primary cause, however, is the obstacles on the road. While avoiding a direct collision, the crew veered to the right, which predictably led to the consequences. And when the main rotor blades are "cut," it's difficult to talk about the helicopter's aerodynamics and controllability. To answer your question, no, the helicopter is "steered" by the rotor blades. Sometimes this is also called the "tail rotor."

[poquello]

"The crash could have been caused by a malfunction in the hydraulic system."
Yes, I read a different version: they ran out of fuel, didn't make it 5 km, and both engines stopped at once.

[Graz]

then we could have boarded the same route normally, a little earlier

[poquello]

Quote: Graz

then we could have boarded the same route normally, a little earlier

Do helicopters land normally without engines? Theoretically, it flies like maple seeds, but in practice, it's like that on video.

[your1970]

Quote: poquello

Quote: Graz

then we could have boarded the same route normally, a little earlier

Do helicopters land normally without engines? Theoretically, it flies like maple seeds, but in practice, it's like that on video.

Autorotation landings are taught at the school

[January]

A standard Russian problem.

[Sergey3]

Yes, I read a different version: they ran out of fuel, didn't make it 5 km, and both engines stopped at once.

Why did they have to wait until the last minute? It was a helicopter; it could have landed earlier in a clear spot and prevented the accident.

[Free Island]

Well, yeah, I could have landed in the sea... Out of nowhere 😂😂🤦🤦🤦

[Sergey3]

Actually, he was flying along the highway, why?! Did he want to turn into a gas station?! Or get in line?!

[Free Island]

Almost the entire route along Sakhalin's eastern coast runs along the sea (including Sokol, Dolinsky District), and helicopters flying long distances between settlements fly over the sea to avoid winding through the hills. It depends on where the helicopter is flying from. But most likely, it flew over the sea, as is tradition.

[poquello]

Quote: Free Island

Depends on where it was flying from.

from Cape Patience

[your1970]

Quote: poquello

"The crash could have been caused by a malfunction in the hydraulic system."
Yes, I read a different version: they ran out of fuel, didn't make it 5 km, and both engines stopped at once.

If this is the case, it's the commander's fault, no question about it. The flight's fuel consumption was miscalculated—the fuel consumption was exceeded from the reserve that wasn't being used.
And yes, I could have just sat down in any suitable place, it’s not an airplane after all.

[Piramidon]

Quote: poquello

I read a different version, the fuel ran out

And who put forward this version, some armchair expert?

[poquello]

Quote: Piramidon

Quote: poquello

I read a different version, the fuel ran out

And who put forward this version, some armchair expert?

https://max.ru/mash/AaBh1U7KG_w,
https://max.ru/mash/AaBg9X4LUXo

[Piramidon]

Quote: poquello

https://max.ru/mash/AaBh1U7KG_w,
https://max.ru/mash/AaBg9X4LUXo

Well, where does it say anything about fuel? I didn't see anything.

[poquello]

Quote: Piramidon

Quote: poquello

https://max.ru/mash/AaBh1U7KG_w,
https://max.ru/mash/AaBg9X4LUXo

Well, where does it say anything about fuel? I didn't see anything.

Footage of the emergency landing of an MI-8 helicopter carrying election commission members on Sakhalin. Passengers and crew escaped with bruises and scratches.

The helicopter made an emergency landing today at around 16:00 PM local time on a highway in the Dolinsky district. The cause of the accident was the spontaneous shutdown of both engines due to complete fuel exhaustion.The airfield was five kilometers away. Upon landing, the aircraft rolled onto its side and into a ditch.
There were eight people on board: three crew members, an election commission employee, and four journalists.

[Mouse]

no harm done.

This is the main thing! We will live!

[Smoked]

We landed like an airplane, it was okay, but it was a bit short because of the tall Gazelle.

[Graz]

It looks like it's an army aviation helicopter, what were the journalists and the election commission employee doing on it?

[kromer]

Quote: Graz

What were the journalists and the election commission employee doing there?

You won't believe it: we flew.

[Evgeny64]

You won't believe it, but in those parts, border guards and army personnel transport almost everyone, well, maybe except for air ambulances and geologists. Here, too, in the early 2000s, an Election Commission helicopter, while autorotating, crashed into the tundra in a blizzard. A couple of fractures occurred, but otherwise, no big deal.

[kromer]

Quote: Evgeny64

You won't believe it, but in those places almost everyone is driven by border guards and army personnel.

Why not believe it? In remote parts of our homeland, the only hope is the border guards and the army; there's no other way.

[Sergey3]

What were the journalists and the election commission employee doing there?

Now it’s clear why we didn’t make it, our sins didn’t let us go any further...

[K-50]

A multi-purpose Mi-8 helicopter made an emergency landing on Russia's largest island, Sakhalin, which is part of the Sakhalin region in the east of the country.

If it hadn't been for the Gazelle, they would have been able to slow down and wouldn't have gone into the ditch. They were afraid the propeller would shred the Gazelle.

[faiver]

If we hadn't flown with half-empty tanks, we wouldn't have had to dodge the van...

[faiver]

alive and thank God..............

[Hiller]

Civilian flights used to land at Sokol when Khomutovo was closed. I flew there myself. Fighter jets were stationed there. One of them shot down a South Korean Boeing.

[igorbrsv]

And it's not the only helicopter that's unique in its kind. Pilots on the Ka-52 can eject, apparently. I haven't heard of any other helicopter that can boast that. I could be wrong.

[solar]

For helicopters, the main method of rescue is to put the rotor into autorotation.

[Roman_Vasilyevich]

On Russia's largest island, Sakhalin, which is part of the region of the same name in the east of the country...

What an exquisite geographical exercise))

[kromer]

Quote: Roman_Vasilevich

What an exquisite geographical exercise))

Yeah, I laughed too when I read this unique clarification.

[helilelik]

If the truck driver hadn't been stupid, the side of the truck wouldn't have collapsed like that.

[Dmitriy444]

If it weren't for the truck, everything would have worked out. The rotor diameter is 21.3 meters. Where would the truck go? Even if it runs out of fuel or the rotor fails, why land on the road? There seem to be fields nearby. And the damage is minor: a replacement set of main rotor blades, they'll check it, measure the main rotor hub, and off we go.

[traveler 63]

If the main gear fails, no one lands anywhere! The thrust on the Mi-8's control gear during a main gear failure can reach up to 2 tons!

[Dmitriy444]

There are OGS and DGS, they sit down.

[traveler 63]

Give me an example; I personally don't know any. But the Mi-8 and 24 have such a reliable main rotor system that I haven't seen a single failure! (The exception is the main rotor system, and if the main rotor circuit is damaged or there's an AMG leak, it makes no difference whether it's the main rotor system or the main rotor system. Of course, if you have the altitude, as they say, "bones overboard." If you don't have the altitude, you can crash the helicopter so that everyone survives!)

[Sirocco]

Respect to the pilots for not killing anyone, regarding fuel, the rules are written in blood - this is ANZ fuel.

[call sign_53]

We arrived and landed softly. Send us the spare parts - fuselage and planes.
But the truck driver wasn't killed.

[snow mountain]

Quote: Fachmann

I simply ran out of fuel. I was just a few kilometers short of the airfield.

This simply can't be!

[wlkw]

The Gazelle driver is clearly stupid, I can’t say anything else about him.

[Glagol1]

The pilot probably needs to be called in. There's a field nearby—they should make an emergency landing if something's broken. But no, he lands on a busy highway, posing a mortal risk to motorists. The truck was in the rotor zone—a few more meters and the propeller would have smashed the cockpit to smithereens. And the plane is a write-off. What a good pilot! I'd rip his arms off to keep him from flying again.

[vitaliy20091959]

What about the field next to the highway?