Ka-226 Chopper Carrying Defense Executives Crashes in Dagestan, Killing Four

A Russian Ka-226 light utility helicopter crashed on November 7 in the remote village of Achi-Su near the Caspian Sea, killing five people—including four senior executives from the EU-sanctioned Kizlyar Electromechanical Plant—and injuring two others after its tail rotor struck a rock during a beach landing attempt. Viral video footage captured the horrifying sequence: as the chopper hovered low over the sandy shore, the tail boom clipped a boulder, severing the rear rotor and causing the fuselage to split mid-air. The unstable aircraft then spiralled, slamming into an unoccupied private beachfront house, which erupted in flames upon impact.

The victims included Achalo Magomedov, deputy general director for construction and transport at the Kizlyar plant, along with three colleagues and the flight mechanic. Russia's federal aviation agency, Rosaviatsia, classified the incident as a "disaster" and launched an investigation, while independent reports attributed it to a "technical malfunction" with no evidence of foul play. Separate clips showed the helicopter ploughing through the house's roof before exploding, leaving the structure in rubble as firefighters battled the inferno.

The Kizlyar Electromechanical Plant, sanctioned by the EU in 2024 for producing aircraft equipment supporting Russia's military actions in Ukraine—including bomb racks for Su-25 jets—confirmed the deaths in a statement. The factory specialises in ground control systems and on-board diagnostics, making the loss of key personnel a significant blow amid ongoing Western restrictions.

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Dramatic videos spread rapidly across social media, highlighting the split-second catastrophe that unfolded in daylight. Emergency services rushed to the scene, extinguishing the blaze and recovering bodies from the wreckage. The crash has renewed scrutiny on the safety of Russia's ageing Ka-226 fleet, operated widely for civilian and military transport in rugged terrains.

As investigators examine the "technical malfunction", the incident underscores the risks faced by sanctioned entities operating under isolation. With no survivors among the plant's executives on board, questions linger over the helicopter's maintenance and the flight's purpose in the isolated Caspian coastal region.

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