KHANKALA. Feb 15 (Interfax-AVN) - The search for the missing MI-24 Hind helicopter has been shifted to the Khankala foothills outside the Chechen capital Grozny, a spokesman for the unified federal headquarters said on Friday.
Experts of the search service believe that the foothills are the most likely site of the helicopter crash, the spokesman told Interfax-Military News Agency.
All variants are being considered, including inspection of deep gorges covered with snow. However application of powerful IR imagers has been fruitless so far, the spokesman said.
Up to six helicopters of the Federal Border Guard Service, army aviation of the North Caucasus military district, 4th air force army and Interior Ministry troops are taking part in the search every day.
The search will continue until the helicopter and its crew are found, the spokesman said.
The MI-24 and a MI-8 helicopter operated by the Federal Border Guard Service were caught in bad weather while flying along the Vladikavkaz - Tuskhoroi - Vladikavkaz route on February 2. 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.