What happened
On September 1, 2015, a Bell 206 L3 helicopter, registration HK3311, was performing a secure transport flight between Guicán and Chita in the Boyacá department of Colombia. The aircraft was operating for SADI S.A. and was carrying a pilot and one passenger.
After an initial climb to approximately 13,000 feet, the pilot began a descent into the Chicamocha River canyon. While crossing the 8,000-foot altitude mark, the aircraft encountered severe turbulence. The pilot attempted to maintain control using the flight controls; however, the aircraft experienced a rapid and pronounced descent, ultimately impacting a mountainside at approximately 4,800 feet. The impact caused extensive structural damage to the aircraft, including the separation of the tail boom.
Both occupants survived the crash. The pilot sustained minor injuries and was able to exit the wreckage on his own, while the passenger suffered serious injuries to the spinal column and required surgical intervention.