Mil Mi-28N Night Hunter crash, 1 crew member killed

"Russian helicopter gunship crashes during air show, 1 crewmember killed"
By VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV, Associated Press
August 2, 2015

Source:
http://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2015/08/02/russian-military-helicopter-crashes-during-air-show-1-dead

MOSCOW (AP) — A Russian military helicopter from an elite aerobatic squadron crashed Sunday during an air show, killing one pilot and injuring another, the Defense Ministry said, the latest in a series of accidents that have dogged the nation's air force this year.

The Mi-28 helicopter gunship was part of a flight of helicopters from the Berkut aerobatics team performing stunts at the Dubrovichi firing range in Ryazan region, about 170 kilometers (105 miles) southeast of Moscow, when it went down. The Defense Ministry said the second pilot who survived the crash was in satisfactory condition.

There was no damage on the ground, and the Defense Ministry emphasized that the flights were conducted at a safe distance from the crowd and there was no danger for those who watched the air show.

The footage broadcast by Russian television showed four gunships performing stunts and firing flares. One helicopter is then seen spinning down fast, hitting the ground and then exploding. The first pilot, Lt.-Col. Igor Butenko, was killed.

"There are situations when it's impossible to survive no matter how well-trained the pilot is," Butenko's son, an air force academy cadet, told Russia's Lifenews online portal.

The surviving pilot said the crash was caused by the failure of the helicopter's hydraulic system.

Russian air force chief Viktor Bondarev ordered the grounding of the military's Mi-28 fleet pending an investigation.

The Mi-28 is a two-seat attack helicopter replacing older Soviet-built gunships in the Russian inventory. It has been sold to Iraq and Kenya, among others countries.

Sunday's show was part of the International Army Games, competitions involving troops from Russia and several other nations at shooting ranges across Russia that began Saturday.

The games are part of Kremlin efforts to show off Russia's resurgent military might amid tensions with the West over Ukraine.

The Russian air force has received hundreds of new jets and helicopters in recent years as part of President Vladimir Putin's ambitious arms modernization program, and pilots' training has improved significantly.

However, a series of military crashes in recent months has raised questions about safety standards. Sunday's accident was the seventh military crash this summer.

Last month, a Tu-95 strategic bomber went down when all its four engines cut off, killing two of its seven crewmen, and a Su-24 bomber crashed on takeoff, killing both pilots. In June, another Tu-95 ran off the runway during landing, killing one crewmember.

During the summer, two MiG-29 fighter jets crashed in unrelated accidents and a Su-34 bomber ran off the runway. There were no fatalities in those crashes.

Some experts said the crashes could have been rooted in the shortage of qualified ground support personnel following a military reform that has seen sharp personnel cuts.

Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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Russia grounds Mi-28 fleet following display crash: reports
By: Beth Stevenson
London
Source: Flightglobal.com
17:26 3 Aug 2015

Source:
http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/russia-grounds-mi-28-fleet-following-display-crash-415326/

A fatal crash of a Mil Mi-28 helicopter has led to the Russian ministry of defence grounding its entire fleet of the attack type, according to local media reports.

The incident on 2 August involved a Mi-28 flown by the Berkut aerobatics display team performing at the Aviadarts 2015 flight competition near Ryazan in Russia.

Reports have blamed the crash on hydraulic failure. Footage of the incident on social media shows the aircraft performing its display routine, before beginning to descend vertically, apparently spinning out of control. The tail rotor also does not appear to be turning under power during the footage.

The aircraft is seen to hit the ground with a wings level attitude and then burst into flames. Russian news agency RIA Novosti says the helicopter's pilot was killed in the accident, while the navigator survived, but was hospitalised with spinal injuries and concussion.

This is the second loss of an Mi-28, with an earlier example destroyed in February 2011, Flightglobal’s Fleets Analyzer database records. Two other incidents involving the rotorcraft took place in June 2009 and October 2011, but the aircraft were repaired and returned to service.

Analyzer shows 84 of the 10.9t type in service with the Russian military, while Iraq has seven in its inventory.

There are currently no other operators of the Klimov VK-2500-powered helicopter, but Algeria has 42 on order, with deliveries expected to start soon.
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So having watched the video(s) a multitude of times, my first inclination is that the Mi-28 lost tail rotor authority. Perhaps brought about due to a flare going into the tail rotor due to the pitch up maneuver the aircraft performed just prior to the loss of control. The aircraft appears to be under control initially by yawing as part of the maneuver. This is quickly overcome by a reverse yaw due to the high power setting of the aircraft. Another option may be that the controls jammed in the opposite position due to the ascribed hydraulic failure. This would account for the aircraft remaining in a max rate yaw even after the aircraft entered autorotation (the usual procedure for low speed TR failure). At this point there is not much you can do but wait for the inevitable.

I suspect the pilot who lost his life was killed by the main rotor flexing down on impact, into the cockpit. If you watch the video closely you can see the rotors flexing down on impact. Given the velocity that the Mi-28 impacted, the fact that a crew member walked away under his own power (even if under the influence of adrenalin) is a testament to the safety features of the helicopter.
 

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