License plate of helicopter found in SP is preserved among wreckage

The license plate of the helicopter found this Friday morning (12), in Paraibuna, is preserved among the wreckage. Teams from the Brazilian Air Force (FAB), who are at the scene, photographed part of the aircraft's fuselage, which contains the engraving of the letters PR-HDB.

The image, obtained by CNN enabled agents to prove that the wreckage located belongs to the Robinson R44 helicopter, which had been missing since December 31, 2023.

The FAB spent more than 135 hours of flight time in the search, in partnership with authorities from São Paulo. Two aircraft flew to the location with specialized crew to confirm the finding of the missing helicopter.

Members of the Fourth Regional Aviation Accident Investigation and Prevention Service (SERIPA IV), located in São Paulo, will begin investigations into the accident.

Initially, data collection, preservation of evidence and verification of damage caused to the aircraft or by the aircraft will be carried out. FAB is committed to completing the investigation in the shortest possible time, depending on the complexity of the work.

Helicopter encounter

The helicopter that had been missing off the coast of São Paulo since December 31st was located at around 9:15 am this Friday (12th) in Paraibuna, according to the Military Police. The four occupants of the aircraft died.

The wreckage was spotted by agents flying over the region aboard the PM's Águia 24 helicopter. The location is difficult to access and teams continue work on land.

Relatives of the four people on board are already aware of the location of the helicopter. They had been carrying out searches on their own since the early hours of this Friday.