The aircraft was on maneuvers for Operation Formosa, in a region near Brasilia, and was carrying 14 soldiers on board.
(Correio Braziliense) Two soldiers died and 12 were injured in the crash of a Navy helicopter yesterday in Formosa (GO), 80km from Brasilia. The accident occurred in a joint exercise with the Army for a presentation of Operation Formosa. The dead are Sergeants Luís Fernando Tavares Augusto, from the Marine Armored Battalion, and Renan Guedes Moura, from the Marine Base – both units on Ilha do Governador (RJ).
According to the Navy, the accident occurred during a fast rope exercise – which is the landing of the aircraft, in flight, by means of a rope thrown to the ground. The aircraft was a UH-15 Super Cougar model, which is part of the 2nd Squadron of General Employment Helicopters, French-made and assembled in Brazil by Helibras.
According to the Correio with military personnel, the probable cause of the tragedy was a breakdown when the aircraft was approaching the ground. The accident occurred around 1pm. Fourteen members of the Armed Forces were on board.
Two soldiers were taken to the Armed Forces Hospital (HFA) in Brasília – one with a compound fracture of the leg and nose, and the other with head trauma. Both were conscious and stable and would undergo orthopedic repair surgeries.
Seven others with minor injuries were treated at Formosa State Hospital. The remaining three remained under the care of the Navy Expeditionary Medical Unit (Umem).
Residents of Formosa reported that the helicopter lost altitude before crashing in the military area, next to Lagoa Feia, where a black column of smoke remained until early evening. Images to which Correio had access also showed military vehicles rescuing the injured after the disaster.
According to the regional commander of the Formosa Fire Department, Lieutenant Colonel Bráulio Flores, five teams were sent to rescue, rescue and control the flames, in addition to two teams from the Mobile Emergency Care Service (Samu) of the municipality. “We were responsible for transporting five injured people to the Formosa State Hospital. It was also up to us to extricate one of the fatal victims, who was under the rubble,” said Commander Flores.
In a statement, the Navy regretted the death of the sergeants. “The Aeronautical Accident Investigation Commission has initiated procedures to determine the causes and circumstances of what happened. MB is providing full support to the service members and families involved,” the statement said. The Ministry of Defense also expressed its solidarity with the families of the two marines.
The version
Soon after the accident, military groups spread the version that the helicopter crashed due to the firing of an Igla-S anti-aircraft missile, which has a range of up to 6km and is fired from the ground at aircraft. The army vehemently denied this.
“There was no – and I sought this information from the exercise coordinators – this situation of an anti-aircraft missile hitting a helicopter. This did not happen, there was no Igla firing hitting the aircraft,” said Colonel Benzecry, from the Army’s Secretariat of Communication (Secom). The version was also refuted by the Navy. “There was no missile or heavy weaponry involved in the activity,” the force assured.
Yesterday’s exercises are part of Operation Formosa 2023, the largest military training in the Central Plateau. The activities bring together about 3,500 military personnel from the three Armed Forces during the month of August.