A Mi-8 helicopter of the Russian Defense Ministry crashed in the Saratov region on Tuesday, killing one crewmember. Two other crewmen are in satisfactory condition, Defense Ministry spokesman Maj-Gen Igor Konashenkov told Itar-Tass. "The Mi-8 helicopter of the Syzran branch of the Gagarin and Zhukovsky Air Force Academy crashed near the village of Ivanovskoye, Saratov region, at around 12:00, Moscow time, on Tuesday," Konashenkov said. "Of the crew of three, the commander /instructor/ and the trainee managed to leave the falling helicopter. The engineer has died. The survivors are in satisfactory condition," according to the spokesman. The crash did not cause damage on ground. A rescue team from the Emergency Situations Ministry arrived at the scene of crash at 12:15, Moscow time. A Ministry commission flew to the scene to investigate the cause of the accident.
