Search failing because MI-8 chopper had no emergency beacon onboard

The search of MI-8 helicopter that went missing in Almaty oblast have yielded no results, because the chopper in question is not equipped with an automatic emergency radio beacon, Tengrinews.kz reports citing a press-service of Kazakhstan transport prosecutor’s office. “The reason why the search for the helicopter is failing is the lack of an automatic emergency radio beacon in the helicopter,” chief transport prosecutor Ibray Tleugaliyev said. According to the International Convention, all helicopters have to be equipped with at least one beacon. However, such regulation has not yet been adopter in Kazakhstan. After this accident, the transport prosecutor’s office initiated the amendments to respective legal acts. “I have also instructed transport prosecutors to work with authorized bodies to check all the helicopter fleet used at the territory of Kazakhstan,” Tleugaliyev said. A Coordination Search and Rescue Center was establish for the search operation. It is supervised by Vice-Minister of Transport and Communications Azat Bekturov. The rescuers have intensified the ground search operation today. They increased the number of search groups and brought in military troops located in Almaty and East-Kazakhstan oblasts. Besides, satellite images of the are being searched have been requested from Kazakhstan Garysh Sapary, Kazakhstan national space agency. The missing helicopter took off on November 24 at 08.30 to fly over the Usharal-Dostyk section of the Atasu – Alashankow oil pipeline. At 12.30 the same day the contact with the helicopter was lost. Kazakhstan transport prosecutor’s office has initiated a criminal case in relation to disappearance of the MI-8 in Almaty oblast.