Four people died Saturday when a Robinson R44 helicopter crashed in a densely forested area near Vista Chinesa inside Rio de Janeiro's Tijuca National Park. The victims were the pilot and three Colombian tourists from the same family of Colombia's consul general in Rio, Diana Paez confirmed to AFP.
The aircraft is operated by Voos Rio Panorâmico e Serviços Aeronáuticos went down around 11:11 a.m. local time during a sightseeing flight. Firefighters said the bodies were burned in the crash and the fire that followed. Rescue teams reached the wreckage on a steep hillside and recovered the bodies using ropes and a zip-line system.
The victims were identified as pilot Alessandro Rocha and Colombian tourists Rocío Cubillos (59) Sofía Murillo (17) and Wendy Manrique (37). According to the consul and the family of six had traveled to Rio to celebrate a girl's 15th birthday. Since the helicopter could only carry three passengers of the group split into two flights the grandmother, aunt and cousin died in the first while the birthday girl was scheduled for a later flight with her father.
The helicopter's onboard camera, used to record scenic routes, was recovered and will undergo forensic analysis to help determine the cause. Authorities have not yet confirmed what caused the crash, Rio's fifth fatal aviation accident this year.
Rio Mayor Eduardo Cavaliere visited the site and urged Brazil's aviation regulator, ANAC to tighten oversight of helicopter tours, suggesting flights could be suspended temporarily for safety inspections. In June, a mid-air collision between two helicopters over Rio killed six people also US singer Oliver Tree.
