Bell UH-1D Helicopter Accident in Argentina (LV-IUH)

Incident Overview and Location On 5 March 2025, a helicopter accident occurred in Argentina. The incident was classified as an accident involving a powerplant failure or malfunction, with fire or smoke reported after impact. The location was recorded at latitude 27:34:22 South and longitude 56:39:49 West, in South America. The aircraft was destroyed, and the pilot-in-command sustained minor injuries. ## Aircraft and Engine Details The aircraft was a Bell UH-1D helicopter, registration LV-IUH, manufactured in 1970. It had a total airframe time of 7,673.9 hours and a maximum takeoff mass of 4,310 kg. The helicopter was powered by a Honeywell T53-L-13B turbine engine, which had accumulated 4,520 hours. The main rotor had 2,927.2 hours, and the tail rotor had the same time. The aircraft was turbine-fueled, and its maintenance documentation was current with a valid airworthiness certificate. ## Flight and Pilot Information The flight departed from Posadas, Misiones, Argentina, with a scheduled time of 13:00 and a duration of 0.4 hours. The accident occurred during the landing phase. The pilot-in-command was a 48-year-old male holding a commercial helicopter pilot license. He had 2.1 hours of total flight time on this type of aircraft. ## Conditions and Impact The accident occurred in daylight under visual meteorological conditions (VMC) with visibility of 999 m. The wind was variable at 50 degrees with an intensity of 8 kt at the surface. The impact occurred on level, flat grass terrain at an elevation of 242 ft, off an aerodrome at a distance of less than 10 km. The impact speed was 3 kt, with the aircraft in a nose-level attitude and slight bank. The pilot escaped within one minute, and the emergency locator transmitter (ELT) was not activated. ## Operator and Classification The operator was a private owner in Argentina, and the operation was classified as non-scheduled firefighting. The accident severity was recorded as destroyed, with one minor injury to the pilot-in-command.