Gufi
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Firefighters work to extinguish fire, which overtook a Mi-28N from the Berkuty (Golden Eagles) helicopter display team after a hard touchdown during the "Aviadarts" military aviation competition at the Dubrovichi range near Ryazan, Russia. (Reuters/Maxim Shemetov)
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The Mi-28 helicopter gunship crashed on Sunday during an aerobatic display, killing one of its crewmembers and injuring another, Russian defense ministry said.
The defense ministry said the second pilot who survived the crash was in satisfactory condition.
There was no damage on the ground, and the defense ministry emphasized that the flights were conducted at a safe distance from the crowd and there was no danger for those who watched the air show.
The ill-fated chopper performed some aerobatics with other army helicopters but suddenly it started losing altitude rapidly. (Reuters/Maxim Shemetov)
The Mi-28N from the Berkuty (Golden Eagles) helicopter descended quickly before a hard touchdown during the "Aviadarts" military aviation competition. (Reuters/Maxim Shemetov)
With a loud thud, the helicopter crashed to the ground killing one of its two pilots. (Reuters/Maxim Shemetov)
The ill-fated Russian army chopper that burst into flames after hitting the ground. (Reuters/Maxim Shemetov)
The pilot who survived the horrific crash stands near the burning helicopter. (Reuters/Maxim Shemetov)
Russian air force chief Viktor Bondarev ordered the grounding of the military's Mi-28 fleet pending an investigation.
The Mi-28 is a two-seat attack helicopter replacing older Soviet-built gunships in the Russian inventory. It has been sold to Iraq and Kenya, among others countries.
Sunday's aerobatics show was part of the International Army Games, competitions involving troops from Russia and several other nations at shooting ranges across Russia that began Saturday.
