Four people were killed and three others injured when a Russian Ka-226 helicopter crashed near the village of Achi-Su in the Republic of Dagestan, authorities said Friday. The aircraft, operated by the Kizlyar Electromechanical Plant (KEMZ), went down on Nov. 7 while flying between towns along the Caspian Sea coast.
According to Russia’s Emergency Situations Ministry, the helicopter struck an unoccupied private home, which was destroyed in the resulting fire. Emergency crews quickly contained the blaze. Early reports from Russian state media suggested the aircraft was carrying tourists, but officials later confirmed it was a transport flight operated by KEMZ, a defense manufacturer involved in aviation systems.
Investigators have launched a criminal case on charges of violating aviation safety rules. Technical malfunction is being treated as the leading cause, though other explanations have not been ruled out, Russian news agency TASS reported.
KEMZ confirmed on Nov. 8 that four of its employees were among the dead, including the plant’s deputy general director for construction and transport support. The helicopter’s flight mechanic also died, while two other passengers sustained injuries.
The company, which has been sanctioned by the United States for its role in supplying systems used in Russia’s war against Ukraine, manufactures diagnostic and ground control equipment for Sukhoi and MiG aircraft — the same planes used in aerial attacks on Ukrainian cities.
Russia’s federal aviation agency, Rosaviatsia, has classified the incident as a “disaster” and said it is participating in the official investigation. The Ka-226 helicopter is a twin-engine utility model capable of carrying up to seven passengers.
Footage allegedly showing the crash circulated on social media shortly after the incident. The cause of the crash remains under investigation amid ongoing scrutiny of Russia’s aviation sector, which continues to face shortages of key aircraft components due to Western sanctions.
