No evidence of previous failure in helicopter crash in Puebla

On Tuesday, Mexico's government informed that the research on the helicopter accident that took the life of the governor of Puebla Martha Érika Alonso in December 2018 is advancing, but the cause of the incident is still unknown.

In a press release, Mexico’s General Directorate of Civil Aeronautics (DGAC) informed that, working together with international authorities , the representatives of the manufacturers are still probing the possible electromechanical causes that could cause a loss of control in the flight.

The analysis that has been made until now reveals that the controls of the airship, like the main motor and the tail rotor, the transmission and the 90 degrees box, “did not present evidence of failure previous to the impact.”

Likewise, they indicated that the damages and traces presented in the motors of the helicopter “denote having been working during the impact .”

Nonetheless, the components o f internal memory “that could confirm the latter were damaged by the impact and the fire. ”

From the analysis of two of the four lights of master warning and master caution , it was identified that they were lit during the impact, “but it is still not determined in which moment of the flight they lit up.”

From July 25 to 27, 2019 , destructive testing to the other two lights of the master warning , the master caution and the hydraulic pump .

From the inspection of the main motor, it was determined that it must be analyzed if the maintenance works done to these components were done according to the established procedure by the manufacturer Leonardo Helicopter Divison (LHD).

Canadian experts to assist in helicopter crash investigation

There was also an audio analysis of the crew of the XA-BON with the control tower of Puebla, “in which there is not an unusual behavior of the revolutions.”

It was pointed out that in the last two noises of the audio “there is fluctuation of 2% in the revolutions.”

In the accident, that happened on December 24th, 2018, the Mexican politicians Rafael Moreno Valle and Martha Érika Alonso died.

The accident took place at 14:40 local time , 10 minutes after the takeoff in the heliport “El Triángulo de las Ánimas.”

The helicopter fell in the settlement of Santa María de Coronango , 3 nautical miles away from the north of Puebla International Airport .

With the National Action Party (PAN) , M oreno Valle became governor of Puebla (2010-2016), and a potential presidential candidate and senator , while his wife was the president of the assistance system until December 15th when she assumed the position of governor after months of a legal battle due to the result of the elections of July 1st.

Beyond their public offices, both consolidated the “morenvallismo” regime with control of local politics, the modernization of the main cities, and economic growth of the state over the national average.

Nevertheless, they were pointed out by the opposition for exercising power with an iron fist , imprisoning the main social and political leaders , exerting pressure against majors of the opposition, and abandoning the most vulnerable sectors .

Progress in investigation of helicopter crash in Puebla