2003 Polish Air Force Mil Mi-8 crash
Mil Mi-8 helicopter with Polish AF serial 631, operated in the same manner as the crash aircraft | |
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | 4 December 2003 |
| Summary | Dual engine failure due to icing, resulting in crash |
| Site |
|
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | Mil Mi-8P |
| Operator | Polish Air Force |
| Registration | 632 |
| Flight origin | Southern Poland (Specific airport unknown) |
| Destination | Unknown |
| Occupants | 15 |
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 14 |
| Survivors | 15 |
On 4 December 2003, a Polish Air Force Mil Mi-8 helicopter operated by the 36th Special Aviation Regiment carrying Poland's Prime Minister Leszek Miller crashed near Piaseczno, just outside Warsaw. Following the failure of both engines, the pilot performed an autorotation landing in a forest. The helicopter suffered extensive damage and was written off as a total loss, but despite the severity of the crash there were no fatalities. Fourteen of the 15 people on board were injured, including the Prime Minister Leszek Miller, who had two of his thoracic vertebrae broken.