A crash in the far eastern Khabarovsk region destroyed a military helicopter Tuesday, all three occupants escaping without significant injury.
The Mi-8MT transport aircraft was being flown by a student pilot who landed improperly in an area unsuitable for landing.
"The screws for the tail boom were sheared off, the helicopter heavily is damaged beyond repair," a military source told RIA-Novosti.
Mi-8MT helicopters were used widely in the Soviet Afghan war from 1979 to 1989.