2015 Villa Castelli mid-air collision

On 9 March 2015, a mid-air collision between two Eurocopter AS350 Écureuil helicopters occurred near Villa Castelli, Argentina, resulting in the deaths of all ten individuals aboard both aircraft.

The helicopters had taken off together and crashed during their initial ascent. They were ferrying production crew members along with French sports personalities involved in the reality television program Dropped. Among those who perished were French sailor Florence Arthaud, swimmer Camille Muffat, and boxer Alexis Vastine.

Background

The French broadcaster TF1 was producing Dropped, a reality series that placed celebrities in challenging environments via helicopter transport to capture their survival experiences. The participants included Olympic medalists and international sports figures such as Alain Bernard, Philippe Candeloro, Jeannie Longo, and Sylvain Wiltord, alongside Arthaud, Muffat, Vastine, and Swiss athlete Anne-Flore Marxer.

Filming commenced in late February 2015 in Ushuaia, located in southern Argentina, before moving to La Rioja, approximately from Buenos Aires. At the time of the crash, Wiltord had already been eliminated from the show and had returned to France.

Collision

Each helicopter was carrying a pilot plus four passengers. Shortly after taking off simultaneously at around 17:15 local time (20:15 UTC), the two aircraft collided while climbing at roughly altitude and subsequently crashed.

Footage reveals that the lower helicopter ascended more rapidly and struck the upper one from below. Weather conditions at the time were reported to be favorable.

Aircraft

Both helicopters were Eurocopter AS350B3 Écureuil models, registered as LQ-CGK and LQ-FJQ. The LQ-CGK, built in 2010, was owned by La Rioja’s provincial government. The LQ-FJQ, manufactured in 2012, belonged to the provincial government of Santiago del Estero.

Victims

All ten individuals on board lost their lives, including notable French athletes Florence Arthaud, Camille Muffat, and Alexis Vastine. The deceased also comprised two Argentinian pilots along with five members of the French production team from Adventure Line Productions. Other contestants from the show were reportedly present nearby on the ground when the collision occurred.

Reactions

• François Hollande, then President of France, conveyed profound condolences regarding the tragic loss of the French nationals involved.
• French footballer Sylvain Wiltord expressed his shock and sorrow via Twitter, highlighting his emotional response.
• TF1 issued an official statement offering support to the families of those affected during this challenging period.

Investigation

The investigation was spearheaded by Argentina’s Junta de Investigaciones de Accidentes de Aviación Civil (JIAAC), with assistance from France’s Bureau d'Enquêtes et d'Analyses pour la Sécurité de l'Aviation Civile (BEA). French judicial authorities also opened an inquiry.

According to the deputy leader of the Radical Civic Union, helicopter LQ-CGK was officially assigned for medical emergency use within La Rioja province. Governor Luis Beder Herrera confirmed that it had been temporarily "leased" to a tourism operator.

The conclusive report, released in Spanish, English, and French versions, outlined the principal factors that contributed to the accident:

See also

• Compilation of notable civilian mid-air collisions

External links

• "JIAAC – Helicopter accident at Villa Castelli, La Rioja" (Archive)
• "JIAAC investigation report on the La Rioja helicopter accident" (Archive)
• "BEA – Inquiry into the collision of two Airbus Helicopters AS350 in Argentina, March 9, 2015" (Archive)
• Helicopters collide, resulting in fatalities among French reality TV personalities (Archive)
• France grieves loss of sports figures in Argentine helicopter crash (Archive)
• Leading French athletes among ten fatalities after dual helicopter collision in Argentina (Archive)