Heliservicio

Antonov AN-32

Operated by Heliservicio on behalf of the Civil Security of Spain, the aircraft was leased from Antonov Design Bureau. That day, the crew was engaged in a fire fighting mission in the region of Banyeres de Mariola, in the Sierra de Mariola, about 90 km south of Valencia. The crew approached the fire zone at a too low altitude, dropped the water load too late, causing the aircraft to stall while trying to 'hop' over a mountain. The aircraft struck the ground and crashed some 10 metres below the summit. A crew member was seriously injured while five other occupants were killed. injured