The organizer of the air excursion that claimed the lives of people was sentenced

The accident occurred due to the fact that the helicopter ran out of fuel

The Lytkarinsky City Court of the Moscow Region on Tuesday issued a verdict in the high-profile case of the crash of the Robinson 44 helicopter in October 2021. Then three people died. The victims of the incident were the pilot and two passengers, a brother and sister, who went on an air tour. The cause of the tragedy was the bungling of the pilot: he did not refuel the aircraft before takeoff.

Tatyana Gorchakova, an individual entrepreneur, who was in charge of organizing the excursion, ended up in the dock. She was charged under article 238 part 3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (“providing services that do not meet safety requirements, resulting in the death of two or more persons”). At the last meeting, Gorchakova appeared with a fashionable haircut and smart business suit, a smile played on her face. One got the impression that the woman was sure of a favorable outcome for herself.

During the judicial investigation, the conclusions of the investigation about the causes of the tragedy were confirmed (the investigation was conducted by the Western Interregional Investigation Department for Transport of the TFR). The fatal flight took place on October 3, 2021. Pilot Alexander Shapochkin lifted the car into the air in good condition. However, during the flight, the engine of the helicopter turned off – the fuel tanks ran out of fuel. At the same time, the fuel gauge was in good condition, the tanks were airtight: this was confirmed by the examination. That is, the pilot could not help but know that he would not have enough fuel. Why he dared to fly “light” is now impossible to understand. The car fell into the forest near Lytkarino. Shapochkin died, as well as 22-year-old Semyon Sadkov and 21-year-old Khristina Kisel – cousins. Sadkov, shortly before the tragedy, moved to Moscow, got a job, Khristina was just going to settle down in the capital, having finished her studies. And the relative decided to give her an extreme gift – an air tour. He arrived at the office, paid for Gorchakova’s excursion, after which she left.

The state prosecutor asked for 3 years in a general regime colony for Gorchakova (the maximum under this article is up to 10 years in a colony). The victims demanded 1 million rubles each for moral damages. The defendant stated that she would recognize civil claims only if she was found guilty. In the last word, the individual entrepreneur tried to justify herself – she said that people were killed by a tragic accident, and she had nothing to do with this. Gorchakova also expressed condolences to the families of the victims. As an excuse, the business woman stated that her IP in one year brought the state an income of 600 thousand rubles (apparently, it was about taxes on the services provided). “I spent five weeks in prison and a year under house arrest. I don’t wish this on anyone. I am innocent, I ask you to acquit me, ”concluded Gorchakova.

The defendant’s lawyer – himself a former pilot on light boats – said that the transportation was not commercial, since the ship was leased with a crew. Another pilot was supposed to go on a fatal flight, and the deceased Shapochkin replaced him on his own initiative.

However, the arguments of the defense were not successful. The court sentenced Gorchakova to 3 years in prison in a penal colony with a ban on engaging in certain activities for 3 years. It was also decided to satisfy the civil claims of the victims.