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Helicopter accident in Castropol, Spain (EC-JGZ)

Castropol (Asturias), ES

On November 11, 2012, a Robinson 44 (registration EC-JGZ) was involved in an aviation accident near Castropol (Asturias), ES. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The primary cause of the accident was the torsional failure of the tail rotor power shaft due to the temporary stoppage of the tail rotor caused by a polypropylene raffia sack caught in the rotor. This summary draws on records from the Spanish Civil Aviation Accident and Incident Investigation Commission (CIAIAC).

Sourcesthe Spanish Civil Aviation Accident and Incident Investigation Commission (CIAIAC)Primary reportUpdated 2026-09-13Data APIEditorial standards
Aircraft registered EC-JGZ
Aircraft registered EC-JGZ. Photo: Calvin Smith from Madrid, Spain / CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

A Robinson R-44 helicopter crashed in Castropol, Spain, on November 11, 2012, after a polypropylene sack was sucked into the tail rotor, causing a torsional failure of the tail drive shaft.

Incident Overview and Location On November 11, 2012, at 17:30 local time, a Robinson R-44 helicopter with registration EC-JGZ crashed in Castropol, Asturias, Spain. The aircraft was privately operated and based at La Morgal aerodrome. It had flown to a private estate in Castropol that housed an industrial factory with several buildings. The helicopter had landed at 16:40 local time near the wall of one of the buildings, oriented toward the northeast. The pilot, a 24-year-old commercial helicopter pilot with 892 total flight hours and 740 hours on type, was the sole occupant. He sustained minor injuries or was uninjured, and the aircraft sustained significant damage. A polypropylene raffia sack was also damaged in the incident.

Probable cause

The primary cause of the accident was the torsional failure of the tail rotor power shaft due to the temporary stoppage of the tail rotor caused by a polypropylene raffia sack caught in the rotor. A contributing factor was the pilot's failure to identify the sack as an object susceptible to being sucked into the tail rotor's airflow.

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Investigation report by the Spanish Civil Aviation Accident and Incident Investigation Commission (CIAIAC). Original record: https://www.transportes.gob.es/recursos_mfom/2012_041_a_2.pdf. This page is a structured re-presentation; facts and quotes are in the Comision de Investigacion de Accidentes e Incidentes de Aviacion Civil (CIAIAC), Spain - Ministerio de Transportes y Movilidad Sostenible.