On December 10, 2021, an IAR-316B helicopter, registration RA-1881G, was conducting a flight for personal proficiency within the border region of the Irkutsk Region and the Republic of Buryatia. The flight route involved several coordinates within the "Ozersa na Sneznoy" ecological park. The pilot, who held a valid private pilot certificate for various helicopter types, arrived at the landing area at 00:20 to perform pre-flight preparations, which included clearing snow from the aircraft.
During the flight, the pilot attempted to land on a small, snow-covered landing area located at an elevation of 1,585 meters above sea level. The landing area was selected from the air. Upon landing, the tail rotor of the RA-1881G was destroyed, causing the helicopter to slide off the landing area and move uncontrollably downhill, resulting in structural damage to the aircraft.
Because the aircraft was not equipped with objective flight monitoring equipment, investigators relied on witness statements, the pilot's explanations, and the condition of the aircraft to reconstruct the event. There were no reported injuries or fatalities resulting from the accident.
Due to the absence of flight data, the specific dynamics of the helicopter's movement during the final stage of the flight and the exact reason for the tail rotor's destruction could not be determined. There were no initial signs of mechanical failure in the tail rotor prior to the event.