Tuesday, August 4, 2015

A SIKORSKY UH-60 BLACK HAWK HELICOPTER CRASHES AND BURNS, KILLING 15 COLOMBIAN POLICE OFFICERS, INJURING 2 OTHERS







By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

AUG. 4, 2015, 3:11 P.M. E.D.T. 

BOGOTA, Colombia — 

Fifteen police officers died Tuesday when the Black Hawk helicopter they were traveling in crashed in the volatile northwestern region, the country's police agency said.

The police said in a statement that two other uniformed personnel were in critical condition and being treated for injuries.

Investigators were rushing to the scene to investigate what led to the crash in a densely jungled area near the Gulf of Uraba region.

The police said the aircraft was part of a mission hunting Dairo Otoniel Usaga, leader of the country's most violent drug-smuggling gang. Since February, authorities with the support of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration have intensified the manhunt for Otoniel, for whose capture the United States has offered a $5 million reward.

The helicopter crashed in an area that is a major haven for the Usaga clan as well as leftist rebels, but police said preliminary data suggested a mechanical failure was to blame.

The incident follows the death of 11 air force personnel whose airplane crashed last week near the Caribbean coast.

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16 policemen they died and two more were seriously injured when a helicopter of the national police rushed to land at 9:15 a.m. tomorrow on Tuesday when it flew over the village of Piedras Blancas, countryside of Carepa, in the Urabá Antioquia, confirmed the Minister of Defense, Luis Carlos Villegas.

As the Colombian established him initially, the national police confirmed it on the afternoon of Tuesday through a press release: "the institution regretted to report that you as a result of this incident, killed 16 policemen and two more injured, who are cared for at this hour in the Hospital's section were.

The portfolio of Defense Chief said operation of assault against "the Urabeños", composed by three helicopters and a group of 18 soldiers, including 14 men jungle and four crew members, began at 5:30 in the morning but due to inclement weather had to postpone it until minutes before the accident.

"The most likely hypothesis is a shock to 120 knots of helicopter against the hillside for low visibility. " The helicopter was absolutely crushed. The largest part is a Metro, "said Villegas.

The Minister said that they could see that there was bad weather climate with widespread and low clouds, which hampered visibility for pilots. It also ruled out that armed groups could carry out an attack with such conditions.

According to Villegas, helicopters heard shots from the aircraft at the time of fire. "The other two heard the explosion of ammunition and armament carrying helicopter to fire against the hillside," said the official.

The wounded and with prognosis reserved are Sergeant Édgar Andrés Báez and the patrolman Juan Carlos Mesa, which have second and third degree burns to limbs which will be stabilized to be transferred to Bogota.

The Minister Villegas referred directly to the claims of the former President and now Senator Alvaro Uribe and Senator Alfredo Rangel, on the hypothesis that the helicopter had been hit. "Not gonna be me which lie." "Is an abuse to the nation the speculation, when believes that there is certainty I same is them will refer", said.

Finally, the official said that they will continue operations in the Urabá against the criminal gang of "Urabeños" in the known "agamenon". "That don't hesitate to get the members of the Clan Usuga that the best tribute will chase them and neutralize them, keep the Agamemnon operation until it is a success", concluded.

The Mission of the uniformed personnel there was to make several raids on farms in the border between Carepa and Chigorodó so it had come out at 6:00 a.m. Necocli anti-narcotics base to give the whereabouts of Luis Orlando Padierna Peña, ringleader of the Urabeños and known with the alias of "England".

The air force ordered two helicopters and the Group of search and rescue, composed of doctors, paramedics and pararrescatistas which departed from the air command combat No. 5, which are located at the airport of the Cedars in Carepa, to support the work of search and rescue of the crew of this aircraft.

Deceased list

Superintendent Diego Gualdrón Rodriguez.
Patrol agent Jesus Antonio Polo.
Patrolman Henry Escobar.
Patrolman Wilson Reyes Martinez.
Patrol agent Norberto Cáceres Baptist.
Patrolman Eider belt.
Patrolman Ivan Diaz Santiago.
Captain John Palacios.
Captain Hernando Guzman.
Patrolman Gongora.
Superintendent Cruz.
Patrolman Deiner mountain.

Wounded:
Sergeant Edgar Andres Baez.
Patrolman Juan Carlos Mesa Patiño.


What Agamemnon?
  This is the operation against organized crime in the last three decades in Colombia and its objective is to finish with the band "the Urabeños". It is headed by the Prosecutor and four directions of police (anti-narcotics, Criminal investigation, intelligence and police), with the support of the DEA and Europol.

 It began in February of this year and to date has achieved about 350 arrests and the seizure of more than 14 tons of narcotics, although still unable to capture any of the members of the dome of the band: "Othniel", "Marcos Gavilán", "Nicolás", "Indian" and "Guagua".

Another fact that mourned the public force

Friday 31 July a Casa 235 of the Colombian air force aircraft was precipitated in rural area of Codazzi, Cesar and eleven members perished. On that occasion, Legal Medicine confirmed that the said event was an accident and not an attack.

About this fact also referred the Minister of Defense, Luis Carlos Villegas, ensuring that the incident arose because of an icing (freezing) of the plane the plane right, resulting in crew light frost protection system and the left engine is free.

"Crew turn on the anti-ice, immediately the housing of the left engine overheats, and disconnecting mechanism the plane descend to 15,000 feet, raises one of its planes and falls," said Villegas.

The head of the Defense portfolio said that it was found that there was adverse weather conditions that made the uncontrollable flight at that point and confirmed that "it is not associated with an external action".




Date:04-AUG-2015
Time:
Type:Silhouette image of generic H60 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different
Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk
Owner/operator:Policía Nacional Colombia
Registration:
C/n / msn:
Fatalities:Fatalities: 15 / Occupants: 15
Other fatalities:0
Airplane damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location:Carepa, Urabá -   Colombia
Phase: En route
Nature:Military
Departure airport:
Destination airport:
Narrative:
The helicopter crashed under unknown circumstances.
Fifteen police officers died in the crash.

Sources:
Associated Press 

http://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=178295
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/08/04/world/americas/ap-lt-colombia-helicopter-crash.html
http://www.elcolombiano.com/accidente-de-helicoptero-de-la-policia-en-uraba-XI2479246