There is no certainty yet if the object that was located by echolot in a depth of 200-250 metres on the sea floor in Isfjord, not far from the Russian helicopter base at Heerodden close to Barentsburg, actually is the wreck of the helicopter. But there is no doubt that the MI-8 helicopter did crash into Isfjord yesterday. As more than 20 hours have gone by since the crash and there is no trace yet of any survivors, hopes to find any of the 8 people on board are getting smaller and smaller and the worst has to be feared.
Names of the 8 persons on board were already yesterday released by Russian media. Now, also the responsible Norwegian authority, the Rescue Centre North Norway, has released the names officially.
The persons on board the helicopter were
Passengers (Scientists of the Instituts for Arctic and Antarctic Research in St. Petersburg):
Oleg Golovanov
Nikolaj Fadejev
Maksim Kaulio
Crew:
Jevgenij Baranov – Chief pilot
Vladimir Frolov – Second pilot
Aleksej Pouljauskas – Mechanic
Marat Mikhtarov – Technician
Aleksej Koroljov – Engineer
There is hope until the opposite is proven, and every effort is taken to continue the search and find survivors. Norwegian SAR forces are on location with helicopters, a special aeroplane from the Norwegian airforce, ships and boats. But the more time is going by, the more likely it seems that it is a tragedy without survivors.
The Sysselmannen has established a contact phone number for relatives and expresses deep sympathy with those who are affected. This is shared by the author of these lines, whose thoughts and sympathy are also with those who were in the helicopter and their family, friends and colleagues and all others who are involved.
According to international law, Norwegian authorities are responsible for the investigation of the accident. A havary commission is already in Longyearbyen and will soon start to gather all information that is available. But currently, the effort to find survivors and the helicopter are still the focus of all efforts.
Russian MI-8 helicopter at the airport Longyearbyen (archive image).
The Russian helicopter that crashed on Thursday afternoon is probably found. Search-and-rescue forces sensed a strong smell of fuel and saw air bubbles coming to the water surface at a certain position in the area in question, in Isfjord, about 2-3 km from the helicopter base at Heerodden. A ship has found an object on the sea floor with the echolot that could be the wreck of the helicopter or a part of it. This needs to be confirmed, though. The depth is between 200 and 250 metres, far beyond the reach of divers.
Already during the night, a diving robot (ROV = Remotely Operated Vehicle) was brought from mainland Norway to Longyearbyen with a SAS plane. The ROV will be operated at the alleged accident site as soon as possible. This has probably already happened at the time of writing (08.30 local time on Friday morning) or it may be going on right now.
There were 8 persons on board the helicopter, and the search after survivors is going on. SAR forces are searching the nearby coast, east of Heerodden. Helicopters and ships are scanning the water. According to all that is known, the worst has to be feared, but all efforts are taken to find survivors. The Russian helicopter was of the type MI-8, which is equipped with a life raft and with lifting bodies that keep the helicopter afloat at least for a while in case of a controlled emergency landing on the water surface. The fact that no emergency signal was released by the crew makes it however doubtful that it was a controlled emergency landing. A sudden, uncontrolled crash seems likely. Witnesses say they have heard a loud noise like a bang at the time in question.
Next to the 2 Norwegian SAR helicopters, there is a number of ships and boats in the area: Polarsyssel (Sysselmannen), coast guard and boats from the tourism industry in Longyearbyen. Initially, the visibility was reduced by snow fall, but the weather is by now quite good, with little wind and clear visibility. The polar night has begun a couple of days ago, so even around noon, the sun remains below the horizon, making light very scarce.
Light conditions in Isfjord during the polar night around noon. The bright light is the moon. (Archive image.)