What happened
On April 12, 2017, at approximately 21:25 UTC, an AS 350 B2 helicopter, registration PT-YZM, crashed into the sea near Itacoatiara Beach, in the municipality of Niterói, Rio de Janeiro. The aircraft, operated by HELIRIO Air Taxi Ltd., had departed from the Recreio’s Helipad in Rio de Janeiro for a local flight.
At the time of the accident, the helicopter was flying at night under adverse meteorological conditions, characterized by heavy rain, wind gusts, and restricted visibility. The flight was being conducted to retrieve the son of the passenger, who had landed another aircraft in a nearby area due to weather. During the flight, the aircraft struck the water surface with a lateral impact. The collision caused the main rotor blades to hit the sea, leading to the loss of the tail cone and making the aircraft uncontrollable. The pilot died from drowning, while the passenger was able to evacuate the cabin and swim to the shore.