Firefighting helicopter crashes in Chile
An aerial firefighting helicopter owned by Helicópteros del Pacífico crashed near the town of Galvarino, Chile, on 3 February
The aircraft, a Bell UH-1D, was responding to a wildfire in the region of La Araucanía, and was operating on behalf of Chile’s National Forest Corporation (CONAF). It went down at approximately 18:00 hrs.
Two fatalities have been reported as a result of the crash – the aircraft’s Bolivian pilot, as well as a Chilean mechanic.
In a statement on 4 February reported in MercoPress, Mauricio Tapiaby, Deputy Director of the Chilean National Service for Disaster Prevention and Response, said that the pilot had ‘many years of experience in aeronautics and firefighting’.
Chile is currently experiencing an intense wildfire season, with temperatures of 40°C being reported in some places. A Constitutional State of Emergency has been declared in response to this crisis in the central-southern regions of Biobío and Ñuble.
Two European Super Puma AS332 helicopters, operated by Ecocopter and Babcock, were sent to the region in mid-January to support firefighting efforts.
Oliver Cuenca
Oliver Cuenca is a Junior Editor at the Voyageur Group. He was previously a News and Features Journalist for the rail magazine IRJ until 2021, and studied MA Magazine Journalism at Cardiff University. His favourite helicopter is the AW169 – the workhorse of the UK air ambulance sector! He also led the creation of Waypoint: The AirMed&Rescue podcast, serving as its Production Editor and co-host.