What happened
On January 7, 2013, at approximately 15:02 local time, a Boeing-Vertol 234, registration N241CH, was involved in an accident near Pucallpa, Peru. The aircraft, operated by Columbia Helicopters Peru, S.A.C., was performing a sling-load positioning flight under Peruvian flight regulations.
The helicopter had departed FAP Captain David Abenzur Rengifo International Airport (SPCL) roughly five minutes before the accident, en route to Cadet FAP Guillermo del Castillo Paredes Airport (SPST) in Tarapoto, Peru. During the flight, the aircraft experienced an inflight breakup and subsequently impacted the terrain.
There were 7 fatal injuries involving the pilot, the co-pilot, and five additional company employees of both U.S. and Peruvian nationality. At the time of the accident, visual meteorological conditions (VMC) were prevailing.