MOSCOW (AFP) - Three people were killed on Saturday when a Russian military helicopter crashed during a landing attempt in bad weather in Chechnya, investigators said.

The Mi-8 helicopter belonged to a military base in nearby Stavropol region and crashed as it was attempting to land at Khankala military airfield in the restive North Caucasus region.

"As a result, three members of the crew died on the spot, one was hospitalised with a head wound, broken leg, and multiple bruises," the Investigative Committee said in a statement.

"The helicopter is almost entirely destroyed," it said.

Russian agencies also quoted a security source as saying that the landing had apparently failed because of adverse weather conditions.

"The helicopter descended in conditions of poor visibility, and hit the ground, three out of four people on board died," the source said.

Mi-8 is a multifunctional Russian helicopter that can also be armed.