2018 Puebla helicopter crash

On December 24, 2018, a helicopter carrying Martha Érika Alonso Hidalgo, the newly elected Governor of the Mexican state of Puebla, and her husband, Senator and former Governor Rafael Moreno Valle Rosas, crashed on a hill in Coronango near the city of Puebla.[1][2]

2018 Puebla helicopter crash
Picture of the aircraft
An AgustaWestland AW109S Grand similar to the one involved in the accident
Accident summary
Date24 December 2018
SummaryUnder investigation [3]
PlaceCoronango, Puebla, Mexico
19°6′48.456″N 98°18′12.442″W / 19.11346000°N 98.30345611°W / 19.11346000; -98.30345611Coordinates: 19°6′48.456″N 98°18′12.442″W / 19.11346000°N 98.30345611°W / 19.11346000; -98.30345611
Passengers3
Crew2
Fatalities5
Survivors0
Aircraft typeAgustaWestland AW109S Grand
Airline/userServicios Aéreos del Altiplano
RegistrationXA-BON
Flew fromPuebla
Flying toMexico City

Five people on board the helicopter were killed in the crash: Alonso, Moreno, the two pilots, Captain Roberto Coppe Obregón and Captain Marco Antonio Pavera Romero, and Héctor Baltazar Mendoza, an assistant to the senator.[1] Alonso was 10 days into her term as governor.[1]

Its destination was the Helipuerto Radio Capital in Mexico City. It crashed on 24 December at 14:50 local time (20:50 GMT), just ten minutes after takeoff from a heliport in Puebla. The crash site is in the Santa María Coronango.[4]

Mexico had sought the aid of the United States National Transportation Safety Board, but the NTSB could not support the investigation due to the government shutdown underway.[5]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Mervosh, Sarah; Stevens, Matt (December 24, 2018). "Mexico Helicopter Crash Kills Governor and Her Husband, an Ex-Governor". The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/24/world/americas/mexico-helicopter-crash.html. Retrieved December 24, 2018. 
  2. Fariza, Ignacio (December 24, 2018). "Mueren la gobernadora y el exgobernador de Puebla en un accidente de helicóptero" (in es). El País. https://elpais.com/internacional/2018/12/24/mexico/1545691861_453173.html. Retrieved December 24, 2018. 
  3. Ranter, Harro. "Accident Agusta A109S Grand XA-BON, 24 Dec 2018". aviation-safety.net. Retrieved 25 December 2018.
  4. Mexico's Puebla governor Martha Erika Alonso dies in helicopter crash. 25 December 2018. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-46677061. 
  5. "Ante negativa de EU, México busca a Canadá y Europa para investigar accidente de Martha Erika". Animal Político. 25 December 2018. https://www.animalpolitico.com/2018/12/mexico-solicita-apoyo-internacional-desplome-martha-erika-alonso/. Retrieved 26 December 2018.