In the afternoon of December 3rd, a Aérospatiale SA-315B Lama helicopter with registration AE-390, belonging to the Mountain Army Aviation Section 8, performed an emergency landing after experiencing a «loss of lift». The landing caused multiple trauma and minor injuries to the five occupants of the aircraft, with none of them being in a critical condition.
According to the statement released by the Argentine Army, the helicopter was conducting a training flight prior to the deployment of Task Force 65 of the Argentine contingent assigned to the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP), a United Nations peacekeeping mission based at the Nicosia International Airport.
The Aérospatiale SA-315B Lama is a lightweight single-engine helicopter, famous for its ability to operate in high-altitude conditions and extreme temperatures. Developed in France in the 1960s, the Lama was specifically designed to meet the needs of India, which sought a helicopter capable of operating in the Himalayas. Its exceptional performance in high-altitude environments, as demonstrated by its world record for landing at 7,500 meters in 1972, has made it a popular choice for operations in mountainous regions worldwide.
In 2023, the Argentine Army began the process of replacing the Lamas with the new Bell 407GXi helicopters, beneficiaries of the contract despite having lower high-altitude performance than the helicopters they replace and their competitor: the Airbus Helicopters H125.
Developing news.
