Incident Overview
On Monday, March 12, 2007, at approximately 19:30 local time, a Bell 412 helicopter with registration EC-HXX crashed in the municipality of Lanteira, Granada. The aircraft was operated by Helisureste and was engaged in commercial aerial firefighting operations for the Junta de Andalucía.
Flight Details and Sequence of Events
The helicopter departed from the Los Moralillos base in Jerez del Marquesado at 17:24 local time, carrying a pilot, a maintenance technician, and twelve BRICA specialists. The mission was to extinguish a wildfire in Níjar, Almería. During the flight, the crew encountered active military airspace (LED-36) near Viator, which required them to deviate from their planned route.
Upon reaching the fire site at 18:15, the engines were kept at idle for approximately thirty minutes while the ground team worked. After departing the scene at 18:50, the crew was instructed by Almería Tower to avoid the still-active military zone, forcing another route deviation. By the time they crossed the Puerto de La Ragua at 19:15, fuel levels were critically low, triggering a FUEL LOW warning.
Engine Failure and Crash
Shortly after the warning, while descending from an altitude of approximately 8,000 feet, the right engine stopped, followed immediately by the left engine. The helicopter was between 5,500 and 6,000 feet above sea level with only 160 to 180 pounds of fuel remaining. The pilot executed an autorotative descent from a height of 1,000 to 1,500 feet above the terrain. The aircraft struck tree branches during the impact.
Casualties and Damage
The pilot and maintenance technician were unharmed. The twelve BRICA specialists sustained minor contusions. The helicopter suffered significant damage, while no other property was damaged.