KA 52 Attack Helicopter Crashes in Moscow, Two Injured
A Russian military helicopter crashed Tuesday afternoon in a district on the edge of Moscow, injuring the two pilots on board.
A law enforcement official told RIA Novosti the ejection seats on the twin-seat Kamov KA-52 Alligator attack helicopter activated inadvertently, sending it crashing to the ground near the Vykhino-Zhulebino district in southeast Moscow.
This is the second time in two years that a KA-52 helicopter has crashed.
A clearer account of the causes behind Tuesday's accident is expected to emerge as investigators study the crash site.
"All the circumstances of what took place are being established," the Investigative Committee said.
Investigators said they will check whether there are grounds for legal action.
There have been previous accidents involving the single-seat Ka-50, from which the Ka-52 is derived.
A Ka-50 crashed in June 1998 during an air display, killing the base commander at Torzhok. An official accident report said the helicopter's co-axial rotor blades had collided during hard maneuvering.
The Ka-50 and Ka-52 are unique among helicopters in having ejection seats. The seats operate after explosives in the rotor head blow off the rotor blades to allow the crew to be ejected safely.
The Ka-52 was displayed for the first time on an international platform at the 50th Le Bourget airshow in June.
Russian Military Helicopter Crashes in Moscow, Two Injured | Defense | RIA Novosti
