12 killed in Ukrainian helicopter crash
KIEV, Ukraine (AP) - March 27, 2008 The Mi-8 helicopter was carrying a crew of three and 10
passengers from the southern city of Odessa when it crashed into
shallow waters near Zmeinyi Island just before noon, said Emergency
Situations Ministry spokesman Ihor Krol.
Rescuers found 12 bodies near the site of the crash, border
guard spokesman Serhiy Astakhov said. The only survivor was
hospitalized in a coma.
Crashes of the Mi-8 - a workhorse helicopter used widely in
civilian aviation and the military - occur frequently in Ukraine
and Russia and often are blamed on poor maintenance and excessive
age.