Flight Details
On May 20, 2024, at 20:15 UTC, a Robinson R-22 Mariner helicopter, registered LV-RLA, departed from the private heliport Hudson/Manuel Alfonso in La Plata, Buenos Aires province. The flight was a general aviation recreational trip with a destination of Campo Colonia La Capilla in Florencio Varela. The aircraft carried two crew members.
Accident Sequence
Approximately ten minutes after departure, while operating under visual meteorological conditions, the engine failed. The pilot initiated an emergency landing, during which the helicopter impacted the terrain in a wetland area between Calle 63 and Arroyo Baldovino, Berazategui, at 20:25 UTC. The impact caused substantial damage to the aircraft.
Investigation Findings
Investigators from the Junta de Seguridad en el Transporte (JST) arrived at the accident site, located about three kilometers inland from the Ricardo Balbín highway. The helicopter came to rest on its right side and was later manually rotated for inspection. The main sections—including the cabin, engine, and main rotor blades—were concentrated at the impact point. The tail boom was completely separated from the fuselage and fragmented into three parts, scattered nearby. The tail rotor was found approximately 100 meters from the impact site. Structural damage was noted on the fuselage; the right landing gear was deformed, and one main rotor blade was bent, suggesting it was still rotating when it contacted the tail boom, causing the boom to sever. The engine cowling showed minor impacts.
The fuel tank still contained fuel. The carburetor functioned correctly, and flight controls (cyclic, collective, and pedals) responded properly. No evident damage to the engine or signs of in-flight power loss were observed. The aircraft's last documented movement was a fuel load at La Plata airport the day before the accident. The wreckage was moved to the Hudson heliport for further investigation.