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| Date: | Wednesday 8 October 2025 |
| Time: | 10:30 |
| Type: |  Aérospatiale AS 350B2 Ecureuil |
| Owner/operator: | Ejército Ecuatoriano (Ecuadorian Army) |
| Registration: | AEE-323 |
| MSN: | 7186 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 4 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Location: | Buenos Aires, Urcuquí, Imbabura -
 Ecuador
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | El Olivo mine, Imbabura |
| Old mine, San Gerónimo, Imbabura |
It was reported by the Integrated Security Service ECU911 that a Ecuadorian Armed Forces Ecureuil B2 (AEE-323) helicopter was flying doing aerial reconnaissance in an illegal mining area between the El Olivo mine and the old mine in San Gerónimo, between the Lita parish in the Ibarra canton and the Buenos Aires parish in the Urcuquí canton. Preliminary report says the helicopter may have become entangled with the pulley cables used to transport illegal mine material and crashed. The 2 pilots and 2 passengers have sustained multiple injuries but survived and are receiving pre-hospital and subsequent hospital care.
Sources:
Integrated Security Service ECU 911
https://www.instagram.com/p/DPjnnzVjefO/?hl=es
https://x.com/EjercitoECU/status/1976010536480538975/photo/1
https://www.primicias.ec/sucesos/helicoptero-militar-fuerzas-armadas-accidente-buenos-aires-urcuqui-mineria-imbabura-106913
Images:
Aérospatiale AS 350B2 Ecureuil of the Ecuadorian Army (AEE-323) landing at Guayaquil - José Joaquín de Olmedo Intl. Airport (SEGU) on December 19, 2023.
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 09-Oct-2025 06:12 | Diogo da Conceicao | Added |
| 09-Oct-2025 08:22 | vasilf | Updated [Embed code, ] |
| 09-Oct-2025 08:48 | Anon. | Updated [Photo, ] |
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