Attack
On 19 August 2002, Chechen separatist fighters with a Russian-made 9K38 Igla shoulder-fired, heat-seeking surface-to-air missile hit an overloaded Mil Mi-26 heavy transport helicopter, causing it to crash-land and burn at Khankala military air base near Chechnya's capital city of Grozny. The helicopter was ferrying at least 140 soldiers and officers belonging to various units from Russian Air Force base at Mozdok, Republic of North Ossetia–Alania.
According to Pavel Felgenhauer, "The missile hit one of the engines as the Mi-26 was approaching Khankala, and the helicopter crash-landed in a minefield that made up part of the federal military headquarters' perimeter defenses. Some of the survivors, attempting to abandon the wrecked Mi-26, are reported to have been killed by 'friendly' anti-personnel mine explosions." The interior of the helicopter flooded with fuel and its jammed doors could not be opened. Only the crew of five and 29 passengers managed to escape through the small cockpit exit hatch. At least four of surviving soldiers died over the next days from severe burns.
Russian forces from Khankala launched a search for the attackers immediately after the crash, but only managed to recover the spent tube that contained the Igla missile.
Read more about this topic: 2002 Khankala Mi-26 Crash
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