Russian helicopter’s crew member goes missing in Darfur

July 27, 2010 (KHARTOUM) — One crew member of a Russian helicopter operating under a UN contract in Darfur region has gone missing after the helicopter suffered an emergency landing in southern Darfur, says a UN official.

Earlier reports by the Russian foreign ministry suggested that the helicopter belonging to the Russian airline UTair, which had four Russian crew members on board, was seized by Darfur rebels. However, this report was later denied by both the Sudanese authorities and UNAMID.

Speaking to Sudan Tribune from Darfur last night, UNAMID’s spokesman Kamal Saiki denied the assertions of the Russian foreign ministry.

Saiki explained that the helicopter in question had landed in a location where it should not have landed and one crew member had gone missing trying to find a way out. He added that the search for the missing crew member was still continuing, adding that the helicopter and the rest of the crew were safely back in Nyala town, the capital of South Darfur State.

The statements of UNAMID’s official were corroborated by the official spokesman of the Sudanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Muawiya Osman Khalid, who told reporters in Khartoum yesterday that the helicopter was not taken by rebels and had only suffered an emergency landing.

Khalid said that the crew members were rescued by an aircraft sent by the authorities in Al-Fasher town.

The Sudanese army spokesperson gave a detailed account of the incident.

“This plane took off from El Fasher airport in North Darfur State and it was supposed to land at Kas airport in South Darfur, but for unknown reasons, it landed at another place some 11 km from the airport,” Sudanese Army spokesman Al-Sawarmi Khalid Sa’ad told Chinese Xinhua news agency.

“The plane could not take off from its mistaken landing place because of the mud; a military force arrived to secure it, but its passengers are missing,” he added.

Later Tuesday the Russian airline company confirmed that helicopter returned safely.

“The helicopter with its crew on board returned to its permanent base, the community of Nyala, Sudan, at 7:39 p.m. Moscow time (1539 GMT) on July 27,” said the company as quoted by the Interfax news agency.

“No one among the crew members and passengers has been harmed, and the aircraft has not been damaged,” it added without making any reference to the reports the pilot was missing.

In New York, UNAMID said contact had been established with three of the four crew members.

Ibrahim Gambari, UNAMID joint special representative, told the UN Security Council that the pilot remained unaccounted for.

“Earlier today we have been able to establish contact with three of the four crew members of the helicopter, as well as one international staff who reported to be in safety” at a Sudanese government location south of Menawashi, Gambari said.

He said UNAMID was working with the government and rebel groups to try to locate the missing pilot.

(ST)