ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 58720
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| Date: | Sunday 15 February 2009 |
| Time: | 16:05 |
| Type: |  Bell UH-1H Iroquois (205) |
| Owner/operator: | Flight Service Helicopteros |
| Registration: | CC-CBW |
| MSN: | 10810 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1969 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 13 / Occupants: 13 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Polhuín Hill, near Chanco -
 Chile
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Fire fighting |
| Departure airport: | |
| Quirihue Sector, Eighth Region | |
| Investigating agency: | DGAC Chile |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
A helicopter carrying firefighters from a forest fire crashed into a hill near Chanco in the Maule region of southern Chile killing 13 people on board.
An emergency official said that there was a dense mist in the area and that there was light rain at the time of the crash. The helicopter completley disintegrated on impact and caught fire. When emergency personel arrived on the scene they found no survivors. Wreckage was scattered over a distance of more than 120m. Three bodies were still in the cabin and the others were spread in the surrounding area including some thickets. The crash scene was in a remote rugged area only accessable by 4 wheel drive vehicles, which hampered the recovery effort which continued throughout the night. 50 volunteers worked on the site, assuming control of the situation at 05:00 on February 16.
MOST LIKELY CAUSE
Operational error of the pilot in command, when entering clouds during a flight under visual flight rules, inadvertently impacting the ground.
CONTRIBUTING FACTORS
Cloudy conditions affecting the area where the accident took place.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
1. Firefighters' helicopter crashes in Chile
2. Helicopter Crash Kills 13 in Chile
3. Helicopter Crash Kills 13 in Chile
4. 13 Killed in Chilean Firefighters' Helicopter Crash
5. Chilean helicopter crash kills 13
6. Photo Gallery
https://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsbaviation/brief.aspx?ev_id=20090217X10218&key=1
http://www.rotorspot.nl/cc.htm
https://www.dgac.gob.cl/wp-content/uploads/portalweb/rest-portalweb/jcr/repository/collaboration/sites%20content/live/dgac/categories/accidentes/investigacion/informestecnicos2009/documents/1514-20150504.pdf
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 15-Feb-2009 23:55 | Topaz | Added |
| 16-Feb-2009 00:07 | Topaz | Updated |
| 17-Feb-2009 03:42 | Topaz | Updated |
| 01-Jun-2010 06:52 | Alpine Flight | Updated [Aircraft type, Registration, Cn, Source] |
| 20-Aug-2017 19:34 | TB | Updated [Aircraft type, Location, Source] |
| 31-Jul-2020 14:27 | KagurazakaHanayo | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
| 31-Jul-2020 14:29 | harro | Updated [Source, Narrative, Accident report, ] |
| 18-Jan-2022 08:37 | Ron Averes | Updated [Nature] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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