Army helicopter accident at the Campo Argentino de Polo

The Army helicopter accident at the Campo Argentino de Polo occurred on the afternoon of Tuesday 8 October 1996, after a bilateral Conference of military officers from Argentina and Peru.

Accident

On the afternoon of 8 October, an Argentine Army helicopter departed from Santa Mónica Island in Tigre Partido, Buenos Aires Province, bound for the Campo Argentino de Polo, in Palermo. Argentine and Peruvian military officers were returning from a lunch and outing in Tigre, after having held the Second Bilateral Conference of General Staffs at the Edificio Libertador, headquarters of the Army General Staff. The first flight was carried out normally, but 20 minutes later, on the last of the transfers, the helicopter, an SA330L Puma, plunged to the ground when it was less than 4 m from the ground, after making abrupt and uncontrollable movements to the left and right, then making a turn in the opposite direction and striking the ground 100 m further back, breaking apart and catching fire. In the accident, which occurred at 17:35, 11 people died, while the other four were injured and managed to survive.