Helicopter horror kills 22 after vacationer journey smashes into mountain close to volcano

A tourist helicopter has crashed killing all 22 people on board.

The shocking incident took place near then Vachkazhets volcano in Nikolaevka, Russia. It is believed that the crash was caused by a “pilot error” which saw the vehicle crash head on into a mountain, with foggy conditions said to have played a part.

Fragments of the helicopter that went missing earlier have been found from the air. The fragments are located at the altitude of 900 meters, near the location of last communication,” Russia’s Ministry of Emergency Situations said.

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“The bodies of those killed have been recovered and handed over to forensics experts. The search and rescue operation is over.”

The debris from the deadly helicopter crash, which disappeared from radars on August 31, was found in the Vachkazhets mountain range area on September 1. There were 19 passengers and three crew members aboard, although the breakdown of that has not yet been made public.

The helicopter used for the trip to see the dormant volcano was a Mil Mi-8, was designed and first built by the Soviet Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute in the 1960s. It was owned by Vityaz-Aero.

According to Russia’s TASS news agency, the crash is believed to have been caused by a “piloting mistake” brought about by “low visibility conditions”.

Nine rescue crew attended the grim scene, but were recalled a few hours later once all bodies were found.

No comment has been made by the Kremlin about the incident, but the area of Kamchatka has declared a day of mourning on September 3.

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