Incident Overview
On July 21, 2021, at 16:30 UTC, a Bell 407 helicopter, registration LQ-ZPR, was involved in an abnormal contact with the runway (hard landing) at Fortín Belgrano, Chaco, Argentina. The aircraft was operated by the Dirección Aeronáutica de Chaco and owned by the Government of the Province of Chaco. The flight was a personnel transfer mission.
Flight Details
The helicopter departed from Fuerte Esperanza and landed at Fortín Belgrano after a flight duration of 1.5 hours. The operation was classified as a personnel transfer. There were two crew members and four passengers on board, totaling six occupants. No injuries were recorded among either crew or passengers.
Sequence of Events
During the landing phase, dust was lifted by the rotor, which reduced visibility. The pilot lost sight of the ground, resulting in a hard landing. The left skid of the helicopter sustained damage. The damage was classified as minor (daños leves).
Investigation Outcome
The Argentine National Directorate of Civil Aviation (Dirección Nacional) investigated the incident under file number 72510988/21. The investigation determined that the incident was a simple incident with no impact on operational safety. The decision was made not to continue the investigation further, and the case was transferred for archiving, as the lessons expected were not deemed significant for improving state operational safety.
Conclusion
The incident involved a hard landing due to reduced visibility from rotor-induced dust. No further analysis or causal determinations were provided by the investigation.