Three die in helicopter accident in Georgian mountains

Three people have died in a helicopter crash in the `Kazbegi region of Georgia.

The helicopter was owned by Aviator, which serves Rooms Hotel Kazbegi. The pilot and two employees of the hotel died.

The crash occurred in the afternoon near the village of Daba Stepantsminda in a deserted area.

Agency Interpressnyus cites eyewitness accounts: according to them, “the helicopter caught fire in the air, sparks rained down and smoke poured out, after which it crashed.”  

The rescue service, ambulance, police and forensic experts arrived at the scene.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs opened a case into violating safety rules of transport vehicles.

Adjara Group, which owns the Rooms Hotel located in Kazbegi, confirmed the death of the pilot and two employees of the company.

The company expressed its condolences to the families of the victims, as well as its readiness to cooperate unconditionally with the investigation.

Ministry of Economy: the helicopter was new and operational

The crashed helicopter in Kazbegi was a BELL-505 of US-Canadian production. It was released in 2018, and was registered by the Civil Aviation Agency on June 15, 2018.

The head of the bureau of investigation of incidents in the field of aviation and maritime transport went to Kazbegi to look into the accident.

“At this stage, we have information that the helicopter successfully passed the technical inspection and was flown by an experienced pilot. The helicopter belonged to Aviator + (Adjara Group)”, the agency said in a statement.

Power lines

The accident was not a consequence of the helicopter colliding with a power line, said EnergoPro Georgia. The company said there have been no interruptions in power provision all day.