Bell UH-1N accident near Panama City, PA

On May 29, 2008, a Bell UH-1N (helicopter) was involved in an accident near Panama City, PA. 11 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.

Date

May 29, 2008

Place

Panama City, PA

Aircraft

Bell UH-1N · Helicopter

Injuries

11 fatal, 1 serious, 0 minor

Damage

Destroyed

Position

8.966°N, 79.540°W

NTSB ID

20080610X00823

NTSB summary

On May 29, 2008, at 1410 central daylight time, a Bell UH-1H, operated by the Panamanian Servicio Aereo Nacional (SAN) as SAN-100, was destroyed when it impacted buildings in Panama City, Panama. The Panamanian pilot in command, the Panamanian flight mechanic, three Panamanian passengers and six Chilean passengers were fatally injured, and the Panamanian copilot was seriously injured. There were no injuries on the ground. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the visual flight rules flight that departed Enrique A. Jimenez Airport (MONX), Colon, Panama, at 1326, destined for a waterfront hotel landing pad in Panama City, Panama. The VIP transport flight was conducted under Panamanian flight regulations. According to Panamanian authorities, the passengers included senior officials from both Panama and Chile, including the Director General of the Chilean National Police (Los Carabineros), who were attending an international conference. A radar review revealed that while approaching the hotel helipad from seaward (from the south, over the Bay of Panama), the helicopter made one 360-degree turn, then another 270-degree turn, and headed eastward toward a different part of the shoreline. Crossing the shoreline, it appeared to be headed over buildings, toward Marco A. Gelabert (Albrook) Airport (MPMG), Panama City, Panama, before disappearing from the radar. The helicopter's altitudes were not recorded. According to the copilot, while approaching the hotel helipad, the helicopter experienced a power loss from the left engine, making it impossible to land at the pad. The cr

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Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.