What happened
On August 30, 2011, at approximately 1158 UTC, a Robinson R44 II, registration PP-CLE, crashed near the Sao Sebastiao Municipality in the State of Sao Paulo, Brazil. The flight was operating under a visual flight rules (VFR) flight plan, traveling from Campo dos Amarais Airport (SDAM) in Campinas to Angra dos Reis, Rio de Janeiro.
At approximately 1100 UTC, the helicopter departed from SDAM. About 58 minutes into the flight, the aircraft disappeared from radar. While a search and rescue team was deployed the same day, adverse weather conditions hindered the operation. The wreckage was eventually located on September 1, 2011, at an elevation of 1,187 feet. Witnesses near the site reported that strong winds were present at the time of the accident. The flight was operating in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) with visibility of 1 statute mile.
There were 3 fatal injuries involving the pilot and two passengers.