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Harrowing video footage shows the moment a Russian helicopter smashed into a pier and bashed its tail off — with the pilot then bizarrely choosing to fly out to sea before the losing control and crashing.
Five senior members of a Russian defense manufacturer were killed in the crash.
The dramatic clip reveals a badly botched landing in Russia’s Republic of Dagestan region on Nov. 7
After clipping off its tail, the helicopter then drifts along the Caspian Sea — possibly searching for somewhere else to land.
Separate CCTV footage reportedly shows the Ka-226 utility copper smashing into a residential building and exploding in flames.
An onlooker’s video of the dramatic moment has racked up thousands of comments on the r/aviation subreddit, with many questioning the pilot’s decision not to put the chopper down after the first botched landing attempt.
“Once they landed in the water I was thinking about the adage that this was a good landing — then they took off again,” one baffled commenter said.
Employees of the Kizlyar Electromechanical Plant (KEMZ), a Russian defense manufacturer, were among those killed. KEMZ has been sanctioned by the United States for it’s role in manufacturing aviation equipment used in the war against Ukraine.
