On July 18 and July 19, 2025, a Robinson R66 helicopter, registration RA-06368, was scheduled to perform flights through various locations including Kudaevo, Pavlovo, Sarmanovo, Kalachevo, Maryanovka, Evsino, and Artybash. The flight plan was intended to operate within airspace classes C and G.
Prior to the flight, the pilot submitted a flight plan on July 17, 2025, using the call sign of a different aircraft, an R44 with registration RA-05572. The pilot later stated that the aircraft owner requested the ferry of the R66, noting that the airworthiness certificate for the R66 had expired and the arrangement was based on a verbal agreement.
On the morning of July 18, 2025, at approximately 04:30, the pilot arrived at the village of Kudaevo to begin flight preparations. At 05:38, the pilot took off from Kudaevo with one passenger on board. Meteorological conditions along the route were noted as not precluding the decision to take off.
The aircraft subsequently collided with the water surface of Lake Teletskoye in the Republic of Altai, Russia.