KHANKALA. Feb 4 (Interfax-AVN) - Nearly 300 paratroopers as well as aircraft are engaged in the search for a Federal Border Guard Service's MI-24 Hind helicopter that went missing in the vicinity of Khankala on Sunday, an official in the unified federal headquarters told Interfax-Military News Agency on Monday.
An AN-12 Cub search-and-rescue airplane and six border service, Defense Ministry and Interior Ministry helicopters are engaged in the search.
According to data provided by the North Caucasus regional border guard department, that helicopter and a MI-8 Hip helicopter operated by the Federal Border Guard Service were caught in bad weather while flying along the Vladikavkaz - Tuskhoroi - Vladikavkaz route. The MI-8 landed in Beslan, North Ossetia, while the MI-24 commander told ground control in the last radio exchange that he was at an altitude of 1,500 meters and starting to descend. At a height of 600 meters contact broke off.
The remains of the helicopter have not been found yet.