Investigation continues after Valle Fértil helicopter crash kills seven officials

On 29 July, a helicopter conducting a forest‑fire training flight crashed in Valle Fértil, near the Ischigualasto Provincial Park in Argentina, killing seven senior officials, including the sub‑chief of the San Juan police, the fire chief, the director of civil protection, and the pilot from the company JasFly. The aircraft had taken off from the San Juan aeroclub at 09:15, with the last radio contact at 10:26 and an emergency signal four minutes later.

Federal prosecutor Francisco Maldonado is heading the investigation. The flight data recorder (black box) has been removed by aviation authorities and sent to the aircraft manufacturer for analysis, with results expected within one to one and a half months. Autopsies, toxicology tests, and technical examinations of the aircraft, flight plan, and witness statements are also being conducted to determine whether the crash was an accident or involved criminal liability.