The helicopter that dropped off the radar on New Year’s Eve has been found 12 days later crashed in a dense forest.
The four people on board the Robinson R44, which was found by a police helicopter on Friday morning (12 Jan), died in the accident.
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It was found in a hard-to-reach in Paraibuna, Brazil, just 6.8 miles (11km) from where the pilot had made an emergency landing mid-flight.
The crash site lies 62 miles (100km) from its origin – Campo de Marte Airport, São Paulo – and 26 miles (42km) from its destination – the island of Ilhabela.
The bodies of Luciana Rodzewics, Letícia Ayumi Rodzewics Sakumoto, Raphael Torres, and Cassiano Tete Teodoro were removed from the scene on Saturday (13 Jan).
Photos taken at the crash site show how the helicopter was completely destroyed.
The victims, including 41-year-old entrepreneur Raphael, were mourned in three separate funerals in São Paulo on Sunday (14 Jan).
Raphael’s girlfriend of six months, Elisângela Gritte, was among those present at his send-off.
The helicopter trip with his friend, 44-year-old pilot Cassiano, was meant to be a New Year’s surprise for her.
But she’d already made plans to spend New Year’s Eve with her granddaughters, so he’d invited his longtime pal Luciana, 45, and her daughter Letícia, 20, instead.
Before going missing, he’d sent Elisângela a voice message saying: “You are a very special person to me.”
En route, Letícia had sent her boyfriend a text telling him they’d made an emergency landing “in the middle of the bush”.
She’d later sent him a video showing them diverting to another destination on the mainland after giving up on Ilhabela.
The helicopter was over Caraguatatuba when it dropped off the radar.
Luciana worked as a saleswoman in the food industry and her daughter was a nail stylist.
According to Letícia’s Instagram, she was engaged.
By the time the helicopter was found, two Brazilian Air Force aircraft had covered a 5,000 km2 area, accumulating more than 135 flight hours.
Police aircraft had also taken part in the search.
Cenipa – the unit of the Brazilian Air Force that investigates aviation accidents – is still trying to determine what caused the accident.
It earlier emerged that Cassiano was once banned from flying for two years.
“UPDATE: Pilot of missing copter was banned from flying after safety violations“
According to Anac – Brazil’s civil aviation authority – he’d evaded inspections, made fraudulent flight plans, and been involved in clandestine air transportation.
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