"The helicopter was almost as good as new", Igor Blinov, chief of the air company's public relations and advertisement service, told RIA Novosti over the phone.
According to him, after overhaul and all required routine maintenance the helicopter has flown only 200 hours. "The aircraft's total flight time amounts to 2,000 hours", said the air company's spokesman.
The air company's spokesman did not rule out the possibility that in such restless country as Sierra-Leone the crash could be caused by "All versions are being looked into now", said Mr. Blinov. The crash causes will be investigated by the International Aviation Committee's commission. The MI-8 hit the ground in the area to the south-east of the town of Engem. All persons aboard the helicopter died. According to the air company's information, there were 24 persons including 21 passenger and three Russian crew members. The Russian air company operates in Sierra-Leone under the contract with the UN mission in that African country.
