The Mi-8 helicopter that made a hard landing in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District belongs to Yamal Airlines

The Ural Transport Prosecutor's Office has organized an investigation into the fact of a hard landing of a Mi-8 helicopter belonging to Yamal Airlines in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District (Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District). This was announced on February 21 in the press service of the department.

"According to preliminary data, on February 21, 2026, a Mi-8 helicopter operated by Yamal Airlines, flying on the Panaevsk-Yar-Sale route, made a hard landing," the prosecutor's office wrote on its Telegram channel.

According to the agency, the causes of the incident are being investigated, and the enforcement of flight safety legislation is being checked.

The press service of the Central Interregional Investigative Department for Transport of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation indicated that piloting error and a technical malfunction are currently being considered as a possible reason for the hard landing of the Mi-8 helicopter. According to the agency, the Mi-8 RA-24166 helicopter of Yamal Airlines, which operated a regular flight on the Panaevsk - Yar-Sale route, flew about 400 m after takeoff from the landing site and made a hard landing on the snow-covered surface of the field. At the same time, he suffered significant technical damage.

In turn, the Federal Air Transport Agency classified the helicopter's hard landing in Yamal as an accident.

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There were seven people on board at the time of the crash, and a criminal case has been opened.

The helicopter's hard landing in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District became known earlier that day. According to preliminary information, there were 10 people on board, including three crew members. One person needed outpatient medical care.

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