Journalists Die in Belarus Chopper Crash
What: Belarusian Eurocopter AS 355NP Ecureuil II AS355 NP border patrol helicopter
Where: Lithuanian border about 800 metres from Vileity
When: October 20 2011, 3:45 p.m
Who: 5 fatalities
Why: Three journalists, Vitaly Prochkovsky, 36; Sergei Shamalov, 39; and Yulia Shaternik, 28 died working on a report about border security for Union, a Belarus television and radio company. Pilots Igor Skvortsov and Andrew Pekarsky also died in in the crash. The chopper circled a house, and fell out of the sky. The Twin Squirrel helicopter they were on crashed for an unknown reason. Forester Elena Kirplyuk witnessed the crash. Crash site specialists converged on the scene. An investigation is underway.