Overview
- A Robinson R44 used for tourist panoramic flights crashed in dense forest near Vista Chinesa on Saturday, killing the pilot and three female passengers.
- Rescue teams fought a post‑impact fire and reached the wreckage using rope techniques in steep, hard‑to‑access terrain with about 40 personnel, 11 vehicles and multiple operational units.
- The three passengers were reported as members of a Colombian family and the Colombian consulate is coordinating identification and support for relatives while remains are processed by forensic teams.
- Judicial peritos and national aviation investigators opened technical inquiries, recovered on‑board recording equipment for analysis, and have not yet determined a cause.
- Rio’s mayor has asked the National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC) for an immediate audit of panoramic flights and has raised the possibility of a temporary suspension, a move that could trigger stricter inspections after several fatal helicopter incidents in the state this year.