The 318^th Military Investigations Department of the Russia’s Investigative Committee in Eastern military district has launched a criminal investigation into a crash of Mi-2 helicopter looking into signs of a crime under part 3 of article 263 of the RF Criminal Code (violation of safety rules for traffic of air transport entailing by negligence death of two or more people).

According to investigators, on 9 September 2013, The Crisis Management Center of the Skahalin Region Main Office of the Russian Emergencies ministry got a report that a Mi-2 helicopter had fallen near the village of Sovetsky, Dolinsky district. There were three people aboard. The Mi-2 was on a payroll in the Sakhalin Regional branch of DOSAAF of Russia and was making a planned chartered flight in the interests of Sakhalin Research Institution of Fishing Industry and Oceanography to fly round the spawning rivers. The 3 bodies were found during the examination of the accident scene.

At present investigating operations are underway to find all the circumstances of the accident. The preliminary investigation is ongoing.