Story By: Feza Uzay, Sub-Editor: Marija Stojkoska, Agency: Newsflash
A Russian pilot who took a YouTube prankster for a helicopter ride with another man duct-taped to the fuselage has opted for a fast track trial by pleading guilty to breaching safety regulations.
According to the new site Vesti, famous Russian influencer Mikhail Litvin, age not disclosed, who has 13 million followers on Instagram and shares controversial videos on his YouTube channel, posted a clip in May 2021 that caught the attention of the Russian Investigative Committee.
In the video, an unidentified man is seen taped to the fuselage of a helicopter, which took off with Mikhail sitting inside with the pilot and other unidentified people.
The Robinson R44 helicopter used in the video is listed at an airfield in Nizhny Myachkovo, 40 kilometres (24.8 miles) from the Russian capital Moscow.
According to Vesti, the influencer booked the helicopter for a week for a rate of RUB 10,000 (GBP 96.30) each flying hour.
Vladimir Popov, a decorated military pilot of the Russian Federation, stated that it is not acceptable to perform flights with such violations and claimed that either the pilot was paid a lot of money or was out of his mind for taking part in the stunt.
The pilot, Alexander Nazarchuk, age not disclosed, who reportedly refused to speak to reporters, has been suspended from work and faces losing his licence for at least one year when it comes to sentencing.
According to the news site Rossa Primavera, the Moscow Interregional Transport Prosecutor’s Office sent their case to court for consideration on 16th September. The pilot is charged with failing to comply with safety requirements.
The Prosecutor’s Office confirmed that the accused has fully admitted his guilt in the incident allowing the case to be fast-tracked and move more quickly to sentencing when the hearing finally takes place at Ramensky City Court.
