What happened
On April 20, 2020, at 11:44 local time, a UH-1H helicopter, operated by Garlick Helicopters, crashed into a hillside in the Licantén area, Maule Region, Chile. The aircraft was engaged in aerial firefighting operations and was returning to its base in Curepto.
The flight began earlier that morning from Viña del Mar Aerodrome. After refueling and attaching a Bambi Bucket water bucket at a landing site near Licantén, the pilot proceeded to the fire zone. Following the suppression efforts, the pilot began the return flight to the operations base. During this descent, the aircraft struck a slope with high energy, causing the helicopter to flip and come to rest upside down.
The investigation
DGAC Chile investigators examined the wreckage, the engine, and the flight parameters. The investigation included a technical inspection of the engine, which confirmed the motor was functioning normally at the moment of impact. The investigation also reviewed the pilot's medical records and the maintenance history of the aircraft.
Investigators analyzed the configuration of the Bambi Bucket system and the flight path recorded by the aircraft's GPS. The study focused on the interaction between the external load and the helicopter's tail rotor assembly during the descent.