Russian Helicopter Crash Kills Three
MOSCOW -- A Russian Defense Ministry spokesman says a helicopter gunship has crashed, killing all three people aboard.
Lt. Col. Vladimir Drik says the Mi-24 "Hind" crashed about 700 kilometers (450 miles) southeast of Moscow just before noon (0900 GMT) Tuesday.
He said on TV that investigators were trying to decipher the aircraft's black box flight recorders.
Russian news reports said the helicopter was on a training flight from a Saratov region aircraft factory.
The Mi-24 is similar to the Mi-8 - a workhorse helicopter used widely in civilian and military aviation in Russia.
Mi-8 crashes often occur and are blamed on poor maintenance and aging equipment. Seven people died last month when a helicopter crashed in South Siberia's mountains.
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