Gallery: Helicopter brought back to shore after sea crash between Saaremaa and Vilsandi
The helicopter, which crashed into the sea between Väike-Vilsandi and Saaremaa on Sunday, was brought ashore on Monday. The wreckage will now be taken to the Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) hangar in Kuressaare for examination by specialist investigators.
All 7 people on board the helicopter survived.
At around 11.15 a.m. on Sunday, the Estonian Maritime Rescue Coordination Center received a report that a helicopter with Estonian registration was in trouble at an altitude of 500 feet (just over 150 meters) near Vilsandi. According to initial reports, the aircraft started to lose altitude, touched the water and then crashed into the sea.
The aircraft overturned in the water and remained afloat. The floats beneath the helicopter doors deployed automatically, and the people on board exited the helicopter on their own and waited on top of the aircraft for rescuers to arrive.
Rescue workers, police officers and the Vilsandi Volunteer Rescue Team responded to the incident, the latter reaching the victims within 20 minutes. The helicopter itself was approximately 500 meters from the shore. It was carrying 7 people – 5 adults and 2 minors.
Märt Ots, head of the Estonian Safety Investigation Bureau (Ohutusjuurdluse Keskus), told ERR on Sunday that the investigation into the incident could take as long as 6 months. During that time the helicopter will undergo a technical examination, with any details that emerge during the investigation only to be published in the final report.
"These things will still be coming in in several months," Ots told ERR on Monday.
He also pointed out that in addition to the investigation of the wreckage, the pilot will also be interviewed regarding the incident. "We will find out who was in the cockpit, what their flight procedures were, how they acted and hopefully we will also get the on-board recordings," Ots said.
Ots was currently unable to say who was on board the helicopter or who was piloting it.
Rumors that former Estonian Prime Minister Taavi Rõivas, who is linked to the owner of Silberauto, Väino Kaldoja, may have been on or even piloting the helicopter were not confirmed. Rõivas told ERR on Monday that he was not on board the helicopter that crashed near Vilsandi.
Ots told ERR on Monday that the wreckage of the helicopter will now be moved to a hangar at the PPA base in Kuressaare, Saaremaa.
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Editor: Mait Ots, Michael Cole
