On October 1, 2018, a Robinson R-44 II, registration RA-05758, was involved in a fatal accident approximately 5 km southwest of the city of Bodaisbo in the Irkutsk Oblast. The aircraft struck overhead power lines before impacting the surface of the Vitim River.
The incident occurred during controlled flight. The impact with the riverbed resulted in two fatalities and no other injuries were reported.
Investigation findings indicated that the aircraft was operating at an extremely low altitude at the time of the collision. The power lines involved in the accident lacked visible markings.
Contributing factors included the pilot-in-command's decision to operate under visual flight rules (VFR) despite unsuitable meteorological conditions. Additionally, the pilot failed to maintain sufficient vigilance and did not account for the presence of artificial obstacles in the flight area.