Seven dead in helicopter crash after aircraft vanished during wildfire fighting training exercise – as probe launched

SEVEN crew members have died in a horror helicopter crash while on a wildfire fighting training course in Argentina. Police chiefs and firefighters were on board the stricken copter, which plummeted to earth shortly after taking off in San Juan. Seven crew members have died after a helicopter crash in Argentina Credit: C5N The chopper crashed shortly after taking off for a wildfire fighting course The aircraft, a Bell 412 utility chopper, lost contact with traffic control while flying nearly 4,000ft above sea level shortly before 10.30am. Weather conditions were said to be suitable to conduct the training exercise. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! The crew had been participating in a course on fighting forest fires organised by the National Fire Fighting Agency aimed at 50 trainees from local emergency crews. San Juan authorities confirmed the seven dead as Deputy Chief of Police Marcelo Videla, Fire Chief Rubén Castro, Director of Civil Protection Carlos Heredia and Deputy Fire Chief Jorge Carbajal. The wreckage was spotted by a helicopter belonging to a local mining company. A recovery operation is reportedly underway but has been complicated by a lack of access to the crash site. Emergency responders having to trek seven miles on foot through mountainous terrain to reach it. Police have launched a probe to determine the cause of the crash. Most read in The Sun It comes just one month after indie pop singer and rapper Oliver Tree was killed in a helicopter collision in neighbouring Brazil. The California-born musician was in Rio de Janeiro for a major world tour which he called the “biggest of his life”, encompassing over 70 performances. But between gigs, Tree was travelling in an aircraft with Argentina YouTuber Gaspar Prim and music producer Lucas Brito Chaves when it crashed into another chopper. They collided over the Recreio dos Bandeirantes neighbourhood and then fell on a car park belonging to an electric vehicle dealership – igniting a major fire. Tributes poured in for Tree, who was described as “huge inspiration” to many artists. In February, seven youngsters were killed in a military helicopter crash in Peru. A three-year-old was among the children who died while travelling on the chopper with their army general dads. All 15 people on board – 11 passengers and four crew members – died in the crash. The aircraft was on its way to help with search and rescue missions after Peru‘s Arequipa was ravaged by floods when it vanished from the radar in Chala Viejo, southern Peru. Comment now