What happened
On November 13, 2020, at approximately 21:20 UTC, a Robinson R22 Beta helicopter, registered LV-YFB, was conducting a general aviation training flight near Santo Tome, Corrientes. The flight involved a series of maneuvers at a private airstrip. During the sequence, the pilot performed a practice landing in an area adjacent to the runway. Following this maneuver, the pilot attempted a subsequent takeoff. During this phase of the operation, the aircraft struck a rural electrical cable, which resulted in a sudden loss of control and a subsequent impact with the ground.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the flight path and the environmental conditions at the time of the accident. It was established that the aircraft was operating in Visual Meteorological Conditions (VMC) and was engaged in a training mission. The investigation examined the sequence of the takeoff attempt following the practice landing and the presence of the electrical infrastructure in the flight path.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was the impact with a rural electrical cable during the takeoff phase.
- The collision led to an immediate loss of aircraft control.
- The pilot remained uninjured following the impact with the terrain.