Brazilian National Force Helicopter Involved in Fire Fighting Crashes in Pantanal

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – A National Force helicopter deployed to help control the fires in the Pantanal crashed on Thursday October 8th in the Porto Jofre region, in Poconé (MT). The information was confirmed by the Mato Grosso Integrated Air Operations Center (CIOPAER). Three crew members were injured. They were rescued and sent to Cuiabá for medical care.

According to a note from the Ministry of Justice, one of the crew members suffered a compound fracture in the leg. “First aid was provided by a support team from the National Force sent to rescue. The causes of the accident are to be investigated,” says the text.

The aircraft left Corumbá (MS) at around 12 noon on Thursday bound for Porto Jofre, the location where the firefighting teams are based in the Pantanal of Mato Grosso. It crashed approximately 7km before the final stop.

In the aircraft were commander Renato de Oliveira Souza of the Federal District (DF) Civil Police, co-pilot Luiz Fernando Berberick of the Rio de Janeiro (RJ) Civil Police, and Staff Sergeant Emerson Miranda Martins of the Rio de Janeiro State Police (PM).

Investigators from the Sixth Regional Aeronautical Accident Investigation and Prevention Service have been deployed. “The initial task is the start of the investigation process and aims to collect data: photograph the scene, remove aircraft parts for examination, collect documents and listen to reports from people who may have observed the sequence of events,” says the official note.

Source: O Globo

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