Two people died in the crash of a tourist helicopter early Wednesday evening in the Esterel massif in the Var, a source close to the investigation said, confirming information from the regional daily Var Matin.
This private helicopter took off at the end of the day from Cannes-Mandelieu airport (Alpes-Maritimes), located around thirty kilometers from the accident. The aircraft crashed around 6 p.m. near the Esterel Caraving campsite in Saint-Raphaël, taking the campers by surprise but causing no injuries among them.
It was a “small helicopter, which is not a government helicopter,” firefighters told France Bleu Provence and France 3 Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur. The accident did not cause any collateral damage and no fire was subsequently started, they added. Around thirty firefighters were mobilized, according to BFM Var.
Open investigation
According to the latest information from Var Matin, the crash of the aircraft was due to an engine failure. The two victims were of Ukrainian nationality, according to the same source.
The investigation to determine the conditions of the accident was entrusted by the Draguignan public prosecutor’s office to the national police and the research section of the air transport gendarmerie (SRGTA).
A similar accident had already occurred in the same area in July 2018, local media recall. Two people lost their lives in the fall of a light gyroplane helicopter, which sparked a fire that was quickly brought under control by firefighters.
