The commander of the Military Forces assured that the helicopter that crashed last Monday, April 29, in the south of Bolívar, was in optimal condition and left nine soldiers dead.
General Helder Giraldo, commander of the Military Forces, indicated that the Air Division of the National Army (DAVA) since its creation has more than 740 thousand flight hours with its helicopters and other aircraft, and that the accident of the MI17 helicopter could have been caused by weather conditions yesterday in the south of Bolívar but everything is still under investigation.
“In difficult circumstances, in support of military operations, but maintaining the fulfillment of that mission in a complete manner. What happened yesterday is the subject of investigation by a specialized investigation body in the case of this type of accident… The aircraft, according to the DAVA report, was in optimal condition,” the officer stated.
For his part, the Minister of Defense, Iván Velásquez, pointed out that the damaged helicopter had a certificate of navigability until January of next year and ratified General Giraldo’s version that it could have been due to weather issues in the area and that it was not due to lack of maintenance.
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“In April, just on April 10, the inspection was carried out with 50 hours, which is always reviewed after being used, but it had a navigability certificate valid until January 18, 2025,” said Velásquez.
Furthermore, according to the Military Forces, at least 17 uniformed personnel have died in the last year in accidents involving their helicopters and which occurred in departments such as Chocó, Antioquia and Bolívar.