Helicopter crash outside Istanbul kills Russians and Turkish businessmen

There has been no official reason given for the crash, after the helicopter collided with a television tower five minutes after it left Ataturk airport in Istanbul.
1 min read
10 March, 2017

Five people died after a helicopter crashed in Istanbul on Friday morning.

VitrA Russia's CEO Salim Ozen and four Russian guests were killed after their aircraft hit a television tower and crashed onto a highway in the Buyukcekmece district.

The Sikorsky S-76 type helicopter crashed five minutes after it departed Istanbul's Ataturk Airport at 11.36am local time [8:36 GMT], an eyewitness confirmed to CNN Turk.

The names of the four Russian guests were reported by local media sources as Alexander Vanin, Igor Kochergin, Luidmina Churova and Elena Badraga.

Ozen's company, VitrA Russia trades ceramic sanitaryware and tiles with the Russian market and is a part of the Turkish company, Eczacibasi Holdings.

A large number of emergency responders were dispatched to the scene of the crash, and the E-5 highway was reportedly closed.