What happened
On July 31, 2024, a Bell Helicopter Textron 206 B, registration TG-MIC, was performing an aerial spraying mission near Finca Las Marías in the municipality of Escuintla, Guatemala. During the flight, the crew encountered deteriorating meteorological conditions characterized by heavy rainfall. Despite the adverse weather, the pilot continued the flight under visual flight rules (VFR).
The aircraft's flight path indicates that the fuselage struck a large, irregular rock approximately six meters in circumference and two meters in height at a 50-degree angle. The impact caused the helicopter to enter the terrain in an inverted position. The impact was severe, resulting in the two fatalities of the crew members.
The investigation
The DGAC/UIA investigation examined the wreckage, maintenance records, and meteorological data. Investigators found that the aircraft was airworthy, properly maintained, and within weight and balance limits prior to the accident. The engine was found to have been operational at the moment of impact, with evidence of debris ingestion in the compressor blades.
Search operations, involving both private and Guatemalan Air Force helicopters, located the wreckage on August 1, 2024. The investigation noted that the Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) signal was not captured by the Cospas/Sarsat system because the device was not correctly registered in the localization database. Furthermore, the presence of specialized aerial spraying equipment was noted to have limited the crew's ability to execute recovery maneuvers following a loss of control.
Findings
- The crew made the decision to continue the flight toward their destination despite encountering degraded and adverse weather conditions.
- The pilot experienced spatial disorientation caused by a sensory conflict between visual, vestibular, and proprioceptive inputs due to the prevailing poor weather.
- The operator failed to provide adequate crew resource management training regarding cockpit communications and the necessity of abandoning a mission when faced with adverse factors.
- The aircraft's structural destruction was a direct result of the extreme forces of impact, attitude, and velocity at the time of contact with the terrain.