State news agencies TASS and RIA, citing the ministry, said the aircraft lost communication before going down on the Black Sea peninsula, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014.

The ministry said the dead included 23 passengers and six crew members, with no survivors reported.“The An-26 aircraft, with which communication was lost earlier, crashed into a cliff,” TASS quoted officials at the crash site as saying.

Authorities located the wreckage in Crimea, though further operational details were not immediately disclosed.Russia’s defense ministry did not provide additional comment outside regular business hours.

RIA news agency reported that, according to an initial assessment, technical problems were believed to have caused the crash.

No confirmation was given on whether an official investigation had been launched or if other factors were being examined.

The An-26 is a Soviet-era twin-engine turboprop widely used for military transport and logistics operations.

The incident, involving an Air Canada jet and a fire truck at around 11:37 p.m. local time, killed both pilots and has intensified concerns over staffing shortages and operational pressures within U.S. air traffic control.

According to a LaGuardia Tower standard operating procedures document, local air control and ground control roles should not be combined before midnight or within 90 minutes of a shift starting.

The rule was introduced following a 1997 ground collision at the airport and remained in force as of 2026.

Preliminary information suggests that, on the night of the crash, one controller may have been handling both runway operations and ground traffic, a practice inconsistent with those procedures.

The National Transportation Safety Board said it is examining the duties performed by controllers at the time, though it has not confirmed whether roles were combined.

NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said two controllers were working in the tower: one overseeing active runways and another acting as controller-in-charge while issuing departure clearances.

However, it remains unclear who was responsible for ground traffic management.Audio recordings reviewed by multiple current and former controllers suggest the runway controller may also have been handling ground movements, though this has not been officially confirmed.

Data showed 70 commercial flights operated at LaGuardia between 10 p.m. and the time of the crash, significantly above the average of 53 for that period in recent years, increasing workload complexity.

Controllers cited by Reuters said such traffic levels would typically require additional staffing rather than consolidation of roles. The Federal Aviation Administration, which oversees air traffic control, did not respond to requests for comment.

Investigators have emphasized that aviation accidents generally result from multiple contributing factors rather than a single cause, with the inquiry into the collision ongoing.

The defence ministry said earlier that the aircraft went down after experiencing a technical failure while carrying out “routine duty,” without providing further details on the nature of the malfunction or the mission profile.

Authorities said rescue teams were continuing efforts to locate the final missing individual, following the recovery of six bodies from the crash site. No timeline was given for the completion of the search operation.

Officials did not disclose the identities or nationalities of those on board, nor did they specify whether the helicopter was military or civilian-operated.investigation into cause underwayThe incident is under investigation, with authorities expected to examine technical and operational factors behind the crash.

No additional information was released regarding weather conditions or flight data at the time of the crash.

Helicopter accidents in maritime zones typically involve coordinated responses from defence and interior agencies, particularly in cases involving offshore operations or patrol duties.