Accident Overview
On 7 April 2013, at approximately 16:16:47 UTC (11:16:47 local time), a Mil MI-8P helicopter with Peruvian registration OB-1916-P, operated by Helicópteros del Pacifico SAC, crashed in the vicinity of the Curaray River, Lot 27, Amazonas department, Peru. The accident site was located at coordinates 01°38'07.54"S, 75°01'57.56"W, at an elevation of 200 meters. All 13 occupants—three crew members and ten passengers—died in the accident. The helicopter was destroyed by impact and subsequent fire.
Flight History
The helicopter was conducting personnel and cargo transport flights between Iquitos Airport and the PERENCO company heliport at Lot 27 on the Curaray River. The mission was conducted under a biweekly mission order (No. 004-2013) from HELIPAC SAC, which did not require daily flight orders. The flight crew consisted of a pilot, a copilot, and a flight engineer. They performed flight planning, preflight checks, weight and balance calculations (without leaving corresponding forms on the ground), and a preflight briefing. The helicopter departed Iquitos International Airport (SPQT) at 14:46 UTC, climbing to a cruising altitude of 1300 meters above sea level.
At 15:15 UTC, Iquitos control tower advised that ATC services would terminate at 50 nautical miles and instructed the crew to switch to frequency 123.40 MHz. Communications concluded without incident. At approximately 15:46 UTC, the crew began a gradual descent. At 16:10 UTC, the copilot reported to the LBC-Rio Curaray control tower an estimated arrival time of 16:20 UTC. Subsequently, engine power was reduced and the descent rate increased.
According to data recorded by the flight data recorder (FDR), a destabilization of flight parameters occurred. The helicopter was later found impacted on terrain in an inverted position. Failure to arrive prompted the LBC tower to attempt contact on 123.40 MHz without success. The Bell 212 OB-1813-P was contacted and diverted to search. The wreckage was located at approximately 16:45 UTC by OB-1813-P, reporting impact at the coordinates and a fire with no signs of survivors.
Crew Information
The pilot was a Peruvian national born on 2 December 1957, holding a Commercial Helicopter License No. 641, with a valid medical certificate through 31 May 2013. Total flight experience was 3654 hours 52 minutes, including 153 hours 40 minutes on the MI-8. The pilot had completed a company initial course on MI-8T/P operations from 11–25 April 2012, and held an English proficiency rating of Pre-Elementary 1. The copilot and flight engineer are not named in the report.
Aircraft Damage
The MI-8P helicopter (serial number 10833) was destroyed. The main cabin struck the ground inverted, caught fire, and was largely consumed. The 13 bodies were concentrated in the forward section of the cabin. The main rotor blade assembly was found approximately 12 meters from the main impact point. The tail boom separated and its debris was scattered over trees and ground along a roughly 365-meter longitudinal path from the cabin impact point. The tail rotor was found approximately 150 meters from the impact point. The main rotor blades were broken near the rotor hub attachments, and the balance disk was located 38 meters away. The tail boom fragments were found draped over treetops at about 35 meters above ground. No damage to third parties or the environment occurred.
Investigation
The investigation was conducted by the Comisión de Investigación de Accidentes de Aviación (CIAA) of Peru. The report includes factual information but does not state a probable cause.