An Ecuadorian Navy helicopter has crashed in Santa Elena, Ecuador, killing two crewmen.
The Bell 430 aircraft crashed in the town of Juntas del Pacifico, where the bodies of pilot Wilson Andrés Bohórquez Andrade and co-pilot Jean Elías Ramírez Saltos were found at the crash site by responders.
Authorities are still investigating the cause of the accident.
“The Ecuadorian Navy regrets the accident and expresses solidarity with the crew’s loved ones,” a statement from the armed forces read. “On behalf of all of us, we extend our most sincere condolences to their families and friends.”
The helicopter, with the ID HN-407, was built in 1997.
Crashes in Ecuador
The incident in Santa Elena is the second accident involving an armed forces helicopter in two weeks.
On April 28, an Mi-171E helicopter carrying humanitarian aid for flood victims crashed in the province of Pastaza. All eight people aboard the helicopter were found dead.
The bodies of five soldiers and three officials from the Secretariat of Risk Management were located after a five-hour search and rescue operation.
