Report Of One Fatality Uncorroborated

In a matter of seconds, a search and rescue exercise turned into a real rescue in Aniva Bay off the Sakhalin Peninsula north of Japan. A Russian Mil MI-14PS Search and Rescue helicopter with thirteen souls on board crashed in full sight of -- and while being filmed by -- a Japanese vessel at 6:46 AM  Thursday morning -- Moscow time (0246 Zulu).

According to CBS News, one crewman did not escape from the overturned helicopter, but Russia's Interfax News Agency said all aboard were alive, although the pilot was injured.

The helicopter belonged to the ROSTO organization, a voluntary sports and civil defense organization roughly analogous to the CAP. There were five crewmen and an eight-member civil aviation rescue team aboard. All survivors were taken aboard the Russian rescue cutter Agat, from which a critically injured pilot was medevaced on an Mi-8 helicopter -- a non-seagoing version of his own Mi-14 -- with a reported spinal injury.

Russian and Japanese forces were undertaking a joint SAR exercise that also was meant to test cooperation on matters of mutual interest, such as emergency response to oil spills. Seven Russian Ships and four helicopters have been joined by a Coast Guard ship, two oil-recovery vessels, and a helicopter from Japan.

The white and turquoise Russian helicopter made a spectacular vertical splashdown in the water, showing off the Mi-14's water landing capability.

But when the pilots went to lift off, the nose of the helicopter tucked into the swells. It looks like they attempted to power through the swell, causing a dynamic rollover forward, at least until the spinning rotors hit the water and shattered. Overturned by torque, the machine settled belly-up as rescuers sprang into action.

Most helicopters turn turtle if crashed in water because of the relatively heavy rotorhead and engines are high up on the machine. Most nations train their military and especially naval helicopter crews in a "dunker" egress training device which simulates a crash in water and overturning. The Russians have such devices, although it's not known whether the accident crew had ever had such training.

Reportedly, the helicopter was still afloat many hours later.

FMI: www.mod.ru