What happened
On October 1, 2008, at approximately 12:20 CST, a Robinson R40 helicopter, registration HR-AUC, was attempting to take off from a confined mountainous area near Yoro, Honduras. The flight was intended to proceed to La Mesa International Airport (MHLM) near San Pedro Sula under visual meteorological conditions.
As the aircraft reached an altitude of approximately 50 feet, the main rotor blades made contact with a pine tree. This contact resulted in a loss of rotor rpm. Following the loss of rotor speed, the helicopter descended and struck uneven terrain on the side of a mountain, subsequently rolling over.
The accident resulted in one serious injury to the pilot and three minor injuries to the passengers. There were no fatalities.