San Juan helicopter crash investigation remains inconclusive

Two months after a helicopter crash in San Juan, Argentina, investigators have yet to determine the cause of the accident that killed seven people. The aircraft, a Bell Helicopter 412 EP owned by JASFLY S.A., crashed in the Quebrada de La Chilca area within Ischigualasto Provincial Park on July 29, 2026.

The helicopter had been contracted by the Federal Emergency Agency (AFE) to support the National Fire Management Service (SNMF). It was en route from the Pocito Aeroclub to San Agustín de Valle Fértil for a training session on forest fire management when the incident occurred.

The victims included the pilot, Matías Juan Pablo Valenzuela, the Director of Civil Protection for San Juan, Dante Carlos Heredia, several high-ranking police and fire officials, and two volunteer firefighters. The San Juan Fiscal Unit, led by Prosecutor Francisco Maldonado, is currently working to reconstruct the flight path and determine the circumstances of the crash.