All five crew members aboard a Russian Mi-8 transportation helicopter were eliminated when it crashed in the Khabarovsk area of the Russian Far East, police authorities stated Wednesday.The helicopter went missingon Monday while returning from repair work in the village of Chumikan to its base in Magadan through Okhotsk.
It did not release a call for help and its emergency locator beacon failed to activate, authorities said.Search teams located the wreckage three days later a mountainside 130 kilometers (81 miles) northeast of Okhotsk, according to transportation investigators.Rescuers recuperated the bodies of all five people on board, consisting of 3 team members and two engineers, detectives said.Regional prosecutors stated they released a probe into the helicopters operator, the Magadan-based business Vzlyot.A criminal investigation was opened into possible infractions of air safety rules.