Helicopter crash survivor in Iaras (SP) arrested with three outstanding warrants
One of the survivors of the aircraft accident in Iaras (SP) was arrested at the hospital after using a false identity and being identified as a fugitive wanted for drug trafficking and robbery.
Fugitive passenger detained at Avaré emergency room after helicopter crash in dense forest
One of three occupants of the helicopter that crashed in a forested area in Iaras, in the interior of São Paulo, in the early hours of Sunday (20), was arrested at the Avaré Emergency Room after police officers discovered that he had presented a false identity and that there were three outstanding arrest warrants against him. As reported by g1.globo.com, the State Public Security Secretariat (SSP) confirmed the detention on Monday (21).
The man, 44 years old, is sought by the courts for two drug trafficking offences and one robbery. The warrants were executed within the medical facility itself and the case was reported to the judiciary.
Investigation discovers true identity in hospital
During proceedings to identify the injured who were hospitalised, the police team noticed that the passenger had provided a false name. Subsequent checks revealed the patient's true identity and the three outstanding arrest warrants registered against him.
The case was registered with the Avaré Civil Police as an offence against the safety of air transport and is being investigated jointly by the Centre for Investigation and Prevention of Aeronautical Accidents (Cenipa) and by the General Investigation Division (DIG) of the city.
Rescue in the early hours after contact via tablet
The aircraft had taken off from Guararema (SP) bound for Londrina (PR). The accident occurred in the early hours of Sunday, and around 0h45 one of the occupants made contact with the Fire Department to report the crash. The victims had lost their mobile phones in the impact, but managed to make the call via a tablet with the battery almost drained, also providing approximate coordinates of the location.
Teams from the Fire Department and Military Police began the search during the early hours. The three victims were found conscious and alert, but with pain and injuries caused by the impact.
The pilot presented the most serious condition — fractures to the lower limbs, in the pelvic region and severe spinal pain — and was the first to be removed from the forest, around 10h30. The co-pilot, who also reported spinal pain and suspected fractures to the lower limbs, was rescued next. The passenger, who remained inside the aircraft, was the last victim to be removed, around 12h30. The three were transported by helicopter to the rescue teams' support point and then taken to the Avaré Emergency Room. The SSP reported that all remain hospitalised under guard and suffer severe fractures.
Helicopter with expired certificates and legal restrictions
The aircraft, with registration PT-YBL, is an Agusta A109C, a twin-engine helicopter manufactured by Italian company Agusta — currently part of Leonardo S.p.A. The model, which entered service in 1976 and has a capacity for six people, can be used for transport, medical evacuation, search and rescue and military operations.
Records from the National Civil Aviation Agency (Anac) indicate that the aircraft's Certificate of Airworthiness (CA) was cancelled and that the Certificate of Airworthiness Verification (CVA) — a document relating to periodic verification of the apparatus's condition — had expired since May 2019. The reason for the restriction registered by Anac is precisely the expiration of the CVA.
The agency's register also lists three additional restrictions on the aircraft: a court order preventing its transfer, an operator in receivership and a deceased owner. The type of operation registered is private, and the helicopter had no authorisation for air taxi, regular air transport, specialised air services or training flights.
FAB conducts initial investigative action
In a statement to TV TEM, the Brazilian Air Force (FAB), through Cenipa, informed that investigators from the Fourth Regional Service for Investigation and Prevention of Aeronautical Accidents (SERIPA IV) were mobilised to investigate the occurrence. The investigators conducted the so-called Initial Action, a stage in which information about the case is collected, damage to the aircraft is verified and data are gathered that may clarify what occurred.
The elements gathered in this phase will be used in the subsequent stages of the investigation, which seeks to identify possible contributing factors to the accident and, if necessary, propose safety measures to prevent further occurrences. TV TEM also requested information from Anac, which had not responded by the time of publication.
Source: Google News BR — São Paulo