Accident Details
On 11 March 2008, a Bell 412EP helicopter, registration N417EV, operated by Helinka S.A.C. and leased from Evergreen Helicopters Inc., departed the remote heliport of La Granja at 15:12 UTC destined for Chiclayo Airport. The flight was conducted under VFR rules with a planned altitude of 8,000 feet and an estimated enroute time of 50 minutes. The flight plan included reporting points at La Granja, Huambos, Llama, Point A, Chongoyape, and Chiclayo.
According to the investigation, the aircraft overflew the town of Huambos at low altitude in poor weather conditions, then continued following the Chancay River canyon. Upon nearing Cerro La Cárcel, the helicopter executed a left turn and impacted the slope at an altitude of 3,600 feet, resulting in an explosion and fire.
Crew and Passengers
The cockpit crew consisted of Pilot Alan Crann (U.S. citizen, total flight time 11,913.06 hours, including 563.06 hours on Bell 412) and Copilot Miguel Castro Gutierrez (Peruvian citizen, total flight time 1,430.10 hours, including 24.04 hours on Bell 412). Both held valid medical certificates. The aircraft carried eight passengers, all of whom sustained serious injuries; the two crew members also sustained serious injuries. No fatalities were recorded.
Aircraft Information
The Bell 412EP (serial number 36430) was manufactured in 2007. It had a total airframe time of 226 hours and 5 minutes. The engines were Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6T-3DF (serial numbers CP-PSTH0803 and CP-PSTH0804), each with 226 hours and 5 minutes since new. The aircraft was maintained under an approved Continuous Airworthiness Maintenance Program (CAMP) by Evergreen Helicopters Inc. At takeoff, the gross weight was 10,721 pounds, below the maximum allowable 11,900 pounds. The fuel load was 1,400 pounds of JP-1 fuel; water and impurity tests conducted on the day of the accident were satisfactory.
Meteorological Conditions
The pilot obtained a weather report from La Granja at 11:24 UTC: wind 240° at 0.747 m/s, visibility unlimited, temperature 12.55°C, pressure 803.45 Mb, and clear skies. The report indicated that Huambos was covered with clouds and Chiclayo was partly cloudy. Satellite imagery from CORPAC Chiclayo showed the presence of cumulonimbus clouds in the accident area with associated bad weather activity.
Navigation and Flight Path
The accident site is located at coordinates 06°38'14.4"S 079°10'44.6"W, 31 km south of La Granja camp. No navigation aids were available in the area. The flight was conducted under visual meteorological conditions (VMC) using onboard GPS and visual navigation charts.