Bodies of all victims of air crash over lake near Moscow found

Russia’s Investigations Committee has confirmed reports that the body of the last air crash victim was lifted from the bottom of the Istra dam lake in the Moscow region.

"The death toll from the crash has reached nine, including two minors. By now, the body of the ninth victim has been found and lifted to the surface," Investigations Committee Spokesman Vladimir Markin said on Monday.

A privately owned Cessna-203 RA-67523 one-engine plane and a Robinson R-44 RA-04383 helicopter, also in private ownership, collided over the Istra dam lake in the evening on August 8 and fell down to a depth of 13 meters. According to the International Aviation Committee, nine people were onboard the two aircraft — a pilot and four passengers inside Cessna and a pilot and three passengers inside the helicopter. No one of them survived the crash. The key theory is the error of one of the pilots.

A criminal case has been opened on charges of violations of air traffic safety rules resulting in the death of two or more persons.

"According to investigators, the plane was making a flight at an inadmissibly low altitude and came in the way of the helicopter that was taking off. The plane’s left float touched the helicopter’s rotor and the two aircraft crashed. Bu so far, this is a preliminary information," Markin said, adding that final conclusions would be drawn after all-round analysis of available information and expert studies.