Preliminary Report: Robinson R44 Helicopter Accident in Argentina (LV-GFK)

Incident Overview and Location On 17 March 2026, at approximately 11:15 local time, a Robinson R44 II helicopter, registration LV-GFK, was destroyed during the take-off phase in Argentina. The accident occurred in South America at coordinates 30:15:32 South latitude and 69:17:47 West longitude. The flight was a private, non-scheduled operation within Argentina, departing from and destined for SJA San Juan/Aeroclub. The flight duration was recorded as 0.1 hours. ## Aircraft and Operational Details The aircraft was a 2015 Robinson R44 II, a small/light helicopter powered by a Lycoming IO-540-AE1A5 reciprocating engine. The helicopter had a total of 13,890 hours and 1 cycle on its airframe, while the engine had 1 hour and 1 cycle. The maximum permitted mass (PMD) was 1,134 kg. The aircraft was fueled with Grade 100 LL reciprocating engine fuel. The pilot-in-command was a male, 69 years old, holding a private helicopter pilot license with 4,000 total flight hours and 1,150 hours on type. ## Casualties and Survival There were four people on board: one pilot and three passengers. All occupants abandoned the aircraft by their own means. The injury report indicated one minor injury, with no fatal or serious injuries. The time to escape was approximately 2 minutes. The emergency locator transmitter (ELT) was not activated. ## Environmental and Impact Conditions The accident occurred in daylight under visual meteorological conditions (VMC) with visibility of 9,999 meters. The wind was variable. The terrain was level/flat sand at an elevation of 6,624 feet, located off an aerodrome at a distance of less than 10 km. The impact speed was 5 knots, with the aircraft in a nose-level and wings-level attitude. The distance traveled was 3 meters. ## Preliminary Findings The preliminary report identified two descriptive factors: aircraft and operations, specifically aircraft dispatch and loadsheet calculations, with a note that the maximum permitted mass (PMD) was possibly exceeded. Additionally, terrain conditions were noted as a factor. The accident was classified as a collision with obstacle(s) during take-off and landing (CTOL).