The death of Jorge Brito: what the official report says about the crash of the helicopter

01/15/2021 8:35 PM

• Clarín.com

• Economy

Updated 01/15/2021 8:44 PM

The helicopter accident that caused the death of businessman Jorge Brito and his companion, which occurred last November, was due to the collision with the

three cables of a canopy,

a system similar to a Zipline.

That was the preliminary conclusion that the Transportation Safety Board (JST) reflected in a report released this Friday. 

The document indicated that the accident occurred on November 20, 2020 and was carried out by a

Eurocopter

helicopter

model Écureuil AS-350-3B, registration LV-FQN,

which had taken off from the Finca las Costas Heliport, in the City of Salta, with destination to the farm that Brito owned in Joaquín V. González, and was piloted by the businessman.

It was also detailed that after eight minutes of flight at just over 1,500 meters, the pilot of the aircraft requested to modify the trajectory of his original flight plan to go to the destination via the Cabra Corral dam, on the Juramento riverbed. , where it circulated at a height of about 100 meters.

Remains of the helicopter from the accident of businessman Jorge Horacio Brito.

The last communication between the control tower of the Salta airport and the helicopter was at 18:33 and at 18:58 the duty guard of the Aeronautical Information Service (AIS COM) of the Salta airport received the notification of a crashed aircraft on the Juramento river.

The control tower of the Salta airport tried to communicate with the pilot through other aircraft that were flying, and at approximately 7:30 p.m. the emergency plan was activated upon receiving confirmation of the accident.

As a consequence of the event,

the aircraft suffered significant damage to the cabin, main rotor blades, tail rotor and power plant

and the report indicates that the accident occurred during the day and in meteorological conditions for visual flight.

Brito was a certified pilot for this aircraft and with ample experience, since he flew it regularly and had used that same route on several occasions.

Remains of the helicopter from the accident of businessman Jorge Horacio Brito

Although the report does not draw conclusions from what happened, from reading it it is clear that either

Brito did not see clearly the first signaling cable

, about 12 mm thick and equipped with 0.50 meter test bolts. in diameter, orange in color, which marked the presence of the other two canopy cables, or saw it late and could not elude it.

The ship impacted the signal line with the cutter and cut it, but

then dragged the second and third lines of the canopy,

pulling it out of the mooring area.

The impact with the cables would have subjected the aircraft to excessive stresses and loads, causing

one of the main rotor blades to sever the tail rotor,

causing it to lose control and plummet over the riverbed from a

height of 90 meters,

which made

any reaction of the pilot impossible

, hitting the water in a shallow area.

Remains of the helicopter from the accident of businessman Jorge Horacio Brito

The impact of the helicopter with the cables affected the integrity of the flight deck and the mechanics of the strike against the ground and its magnitude decreased the possibility of survival of its occupants.

The report indicates that the cabin was deformed on its right front side, it was observed that the seats were subject to their fixings and it was verified that both the pilot and the passenger had their seat belts on at the time of the accident.

However,

one of the belt straps was cut

.

The aircraft was certified in accordance with current regulations and maintained according to the manufacturer's plan, the weight and balance were within the flight envelope indicated in the aircraft's flight manual.

Remains of the helicopter from the accident of businessman Jorge Horacio Brito

The flight was developed under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) in an area where the hills that make up the canyon, with a general north-south orientation, have an approximate height of 300 meters (northwest cordon) and 150 meters (southeast cordon). .

The Juramento River runs through this canyon, and by the action of the gates of a leveler dam, the water level can be modified, which in certain circumstances causes an island of stony soil (boulders) to form, where the aircraft remained after the fall.

The JST arrived at the scene of the accident on November 21, 2020, a day after it occurred and the field investigation was coordinated with the police of the town of Coronel Moldes, with the river and lake police, as well as with the Investigation Corps. Forensic of the province of Salta.

In order to rule out a possible technical failure, the aircraft's avionics component, which digitally controls the powerplant, and the multifunction screen were sent to the JST laboratory, with the exception that some of these equipment were submerged in the river, a situation that can make it difficult to obtain information.

Remains of the helicopter from the accident of businessman Jorge Horacio Brito

The report also points out that there were marks on the short upper cable of the helicopter, but not on the lower one, nor on the rotor, but there were marks left by the tips of the tail rotor blades on the tail boom.

The aircraft was owned by the company New Lines SA and was used for private flights, and the pilot's companion had experience in aircraft type aircraft and helicopters, with more than 6,000 flight hours, being affected by the company to fly the LV- aircraft. GOK and awaiting the inspection by the aeronautical authority for its qualification in the type of accident helicopter.

Meanwhile, the company Salta Rafting, owner of the canopy, began operating in 2003, within the regulatory framework of a travel and tourism company.

It has the provincial approval framed within the category of alternative tourism providers and operators, and on November 2, 2017 it was renewed for five more years.

The company is authorized to provide rafting, trekking, rappelling and canopy services.

On July 22, 2005, the company Salta Rafting presented a note to the then aeronautical authority, which at that time was the Argentine Air Force, informing that it had assembled a set of canopy cables over the Juramento River between km 32 and 34 , 5 of Provincial Route 47, and received the response from the Northwest Air Region of the Argentine Air Force, as to the fact that there was no impediment to the assembly of the canopy cables, since they were not in an area that would interfere with aerial activity.