A Russian Ka-226 helicopter carrying senior defence officials crashed in Dagestan. The helicopter was flying from Kizlyar to Izberbash when it caught fire mid-flight and attempted an emergency landing.
At least five people were killed when a Russian Ka-226 helicopter carrying senior staff from a defence-linked aviation company crashed near the village of Achi-Su in the Republic of Dagestan on Friday, according to officials and state media reports. The aircraft was operated by the Kizlyar Electromechanical Plant (KEMZ), a key supplier of systems used in Russian military aircraft.
The helicopter was flying from Kizlyar to Izberbash when it caught fire mid-flight and attempted an emergency landing, the Russian media reported. Witnesses told local media that the pilot tried to bring the aircraft down on a nearby beach along the Caspian Sea, but it crashed into the yard of a private house in the Karabudakhkent district.
Footage shared on social media showed the helicopter’s tail breaking off before it plunged into the ground. The pilot briefly managed to lift the aircraft over shallow waters before losing control completely.
The impact triggered a fire that spread over roughly 80 square metres before being extinguished by emergency responders. The residential building was unoccupied at the time.
“All three passengers and the pilot were pulled from the wreckage but later died from their injuries,” Dagestan’s Health Minister Yaroslav Glazov confirmed. Two other individuals were hospitalised, one of them in critical condition.
VICTIMS WERE DEFENCE INDUSTRY OFFICIALS
The victims included senior personnel from KEMZ — among them the company’s deputy general director, chief engineer, and chief designer, along with the helicopter’s flight mechanic, according to Russian media reports.
Initial reports from state outlets suggested the helicopter was carrying tourists, but KEMZ later confirmed that its employees were on board. The helicopter, registered as RA-19307, has been classified as a “disaster” by Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsia), which has launched a formal investigation into the cause of the crash.
KEMZ, based in Dagestan, plays a crucial role in Russia’s defence production. The plant manufactures ground control, diagnostic, and suspension systems for Sukhoi and MiG fighter jets, including units used to deploy precision-guided missiles such as the Kh-29 and X-31.
