Nine days after the helicopter crash that had eight people aboard at Svalbard, has been raised. None of the missing seven Russians were found.
The lifting operation was successful, according to the Norwegian Civil Aviation Commission for Transport on Saturday morning.
At 02:00 Saturday, the hull and the separated tailbone from the failed helicopter was raised onto the deck of the Maersk Forza ship.
The helicopter crashed into the sea outside Barentsburg on October 26 with eight people aboard. One body was found in the water earlier this week.
Continuing search
No bodies of the seven missing Russians were found in the helicopter when it was raised. The search for them will continue, the Hearing Commission states.
“We will continue with coastal searches with crews from the police and the Red Cross. In addition, there is a search at sea, says press contact Gunnar Johansen at the Governor of Svalbard.
The helicopter voice recorder and disassembled GPS units are taken to Moscow for analysis.
The blackbox has not been found. The search for that continues as well.
Researchers
The Accident Investigations Commission will investigate the accident with the assistance of the Russian Accident Investigation Board. In addition, the Civil Aviation Authority in Svalbard will investigate whether the Russian operator Convers Avia has violated the Aviation Act, reports Svalbardposten.
It explicitly stated in the permit granted by the Civil Aviation Authority on 20 December, last year, that the company has only permission for local flights for passengers and goods in connection with mining operations in Svalbard and that the company is not allowed to fly researchers, tourists or others.
Three of those who were on board when the accident occurred, were researchers from FGBU – the Russian equivalent to the Norwegian Polar Institute.
© NTB Scanpix / Norway Today
