One pilot died when the Mil Mi-28N attack helicopter (NATO reporting name Havoc) he was piloting crashed during a demonstration flight at an airshow in Russia, the Defense Ministry confirmed Sunday.
"The ‘Berkut' aerobatics crew Mi-28 helicopter crashed today while performing demonstration flights at the Dubrovichi range in Ryazan Region," the ministry's press office confirmed.
BREAKING VIDEO: First minutes after helicopter crash in Russia http://t.co/R8zJzO2h8F https://t.co/Hw2gbv58yd
— RT (@RT_com) 2 августа 2015
According to the Defense Ministry, the preliminary reason for the crash was a hydraulic system failure. Following the crash, all Mi-28 flights were suspended.
"By the decision of Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Air Force Lieutenant General V.N. Bondarev, Mi-28 helicopter flights are temporarily suspended," the ministry said in a statement.
The crash took place at the Aviadarts competition, which is part of the International Army Games currently underway in Russia. The competition was halted after the crash.
