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Pilot's loss of visibility likely cause of fatal helicopter crash in Argentina, expert says
🇦🇷 Argentina /Disasters & Emergencies

Pilot's loss of visibility likely cause of fatal helicopter crash in Argentina, expert says

From La Nación · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Under investigation
  • An aviation accident specialist suggests a sudden loss of visibility due to fog is the primary hypothesis for the helicopter crash in San Juan, Argentina, which killed seven people.
  • The expert theorizes the pilot may have followed a riverbed at low altitude due to poor visibility, leading to a loss of control when conditions worsened unexpectedly.
  • Helicopter crashes are often fatal, especially when flying low over uniform terrain without visual references, as the aircraft's inherent instability can lead to rapid disorientation.

A helicopter crash in Argentina's Ischigualasto Provincial Park, which claimed the lives of all seven occupants, may have been caused by a sudden loss of visibility, according to an aviation accident specialist. The primary hypothesis points to fog as a potential factor that could explain the tragedy.

In my opinion, he must have followed the riverbed at low altitude due to low ceilings. And at one point, it suddenly closed in on him.

— Guillermo TufroExplaining the potential flight path and conditions leading to the helicopter crash.

Guillermo Tufro, a pilot and specialist in air accidents, analyzed the incident in San Juan. He suggested that the presence of fog might have compelled the pilot to deviate from the usual route and fly at a low altitude, possibly following a riverbed. In such a scenario, a rapid deterioration of weather conditions could have left the crew without visual references to the ground, leading to a loss of control.

While Tufro emphasized that his analysis is preliminary and subject to the official investigation, he indicated a high probability that the sequence of events began with a loss of visibility. He explained that helicopters typically rely on visual references and operate at lower altitudes than airplanes, usually between 300 and 350 meters. Their inherent instability means that unexpected entry into clouds or loss of external references can quickly cause disorientation.

It's a typical accident and normally fatal, because without any reference to the ground, you see, it's terrain without trees of any kind. If it's overcast, it's very easy to get confused.

— Guillermo TufroDescribing the dangers of low-altitude flight in poor visibility over uniform terrain.

The expert noted that flying low over uniform terrain, such as areas without trees or large bodies of water, increases risk because pilots have fewer visual cues to maintain orientation and distance from the ground. The specific victims identified were Marcelo Videla, Carlos Heredia, Rubén Castro, Andrés Bosch, Jorge Carbajal, Matías Valenzuela, and Rodrigo Aimetta. The analysis highlights the critical role of visibility and environmental factors in helicopter safety.

The helicopter is normally unstable. If you enter a turn, it wants to turn more; if you enter a dive, it wants to dive more. It's not like an airplane, which is totally stable.

— Guillermo TufroExplaining the inherent instability of helicopters and its implications for pilot disorientation.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by La Nación in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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