DGT helicopter crashes in Almería while landing for lunch
A DGT helicopter crashed in La Mojonera, Spain, after the pilot landed near a restaurant to eat. Dust obscured visibility, causing the tail rotor to hit a tree.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
DGT helicopter that crashed in Almería was landing for lunch
On August 11 at 12:35 PM, a Eurocopter AS355 NP belonging to the DGT (Dirección General de Tráfico) crashed in La Mojonera, Almería. The two occupants were unharmed, but the aircraft was destroyed. A preliminary report by the Ministry of Transport identified the cause and implicated the pilot: he had called the Cortijo Blanco restaurant to reserve a table and decided to land nearby.
The maneuver took place in an unprepared area. As the main rotor spun up, it kicked up a cloud of dust, causing the pilot to lose visual references with the ground. The tail rotor then struck a tree, leading to the crash. The document classifies these elements as "established facts". The initial hypothesis of wind gusts has been ruled out.
Was it on duty or just heading to the restaurant?
The aircraft had taken off from the capital's airfield. The report does not clarify whether it was on an official mission or simply traveling to the establishment. According to Europa Press, it had been deployed for surveillance and control duties related to the Dreambeach Villaricos electronic music festival, held in Cuevas del Almanzora, about 120 kilometers away by road.
This is the crux of the matter. An aerial surveillance unit, a festival two hours away by car, and a table reserved by phone. While this coincidence alone proves nothing, it turns an incident without injuries into an issue of public spending oversight. This episode occurs amidst ongoing scrutiny: the same administration that fines drivers citing road safety ends up with a broken tail rotor against a tree.
Cortijo Blanco: truck parking and loyal clientele
The restaurant is located next to the A-7 highway, near a gas station, with ample free parking space, including for trucks. In circulated images, the helicopter appears behind the building among trees, not in the open lot in front. This detail has fueled various comments regarding the precision of the landing.
In online discussions, users describe it as a cheap, fast-service spot with friendly staff, noting the owner, a man over 80, taking orders like any other employee. "You eat well where the trucks park," goes the road saying. Here, the irony wrote itself, and not in favor of the pilot.
Contact email on the Junta domain
A message in the thread reproduces a contact email for the restaurant's website hosted on the Junta de Andalucía (Andalusian Regional Government) domain. The same debate links training calls from Ifapa, the Andalusian agricultural research institute.
Some argue this constitutes misuse of public resources; others attribute it to the lack of IT knowledge of whoever set up the page years ago, when creating a custom email seemed unnecessary. Determining which explanation is correct is beyond the scope of accident reports. What is clear is that the discussion has crossed the digital footprint of the establishment with that of the Andalusian administration.
March precedent: cocaine, methamphetamines, and arrest
Months earlier, in March, another DGT helicopter—valued at several million euros—crashed during an emergency landing near Robledo de Chavela, Madrid. The incident was more absurd than tragic: the pilot was accused of fleeing the scene and was arrested by the Guardia Civil after testing positive for cocaine and methamphetamines, according to published reports. On board was a second Traffic officer operating the camera and, as later revealed, his vvife.
That episode now serves as a benchmark. Some argue the system fails to remove those who err and that the pilot returned to the controls shortly after.
What happens after crashing a public helicopter
Two incidents in five months involving the same fleet. In the La Mojonera case, the official report limits itself to describing human error and does not address administrative consequences. Published information does not detail if files are open, suspensions occurred, or if paid leave applies while investigations proceed.
This lack of information fuels a sense of impunity. It also explains why an injury-free accident on an Almería road became a debate on public money usage. Some joke that entrance exams for Traffic helicopter pilots have low requirements. The joke points to something serious: if entry filters are lax, errors are paid for in euros and headlines.
The report accurately describes the dust, loss of references, and the tree. The uncomfortable part remains unresolved: what was that helicopter doing taking off from the capital's airfield only to end up parked behind a restaurant.
On August 11 at 12:35 PM, a Eurocopter AS355 NP belonging to the DGT (Dirección General de Tráfico) crashed in La Mojonera, Almería. The two occupants were unharmed, but the aircraft was destroyed. A preliminary report by the Ministry of Transport identified the cause and implicated the pilot: he had called the Cortijo Blanco restaurant to reserve a table and decided to land nearby.
The maneuver took place in an unprepared area. As the main rotor spun up, it kicked up a cloud of dust, causing the pilot to lose visual references with the ground. The tail rotor then struck a tree, leading to the crash. The document classifies these elements as "established facts". The initial hypothesis of wind gusts has been ruled out.
Was it on duty or just heading to the restaurant?
The aircraft had taken off from the capital's airfield. The report does not clarify whether it was on an official mission or simply traveling to the establishment. According to Europa Press, it had been deployed for surveillance and control duties related to the Dreambeach Villaricos electronic music festival, held in Cuevas del Almanzora, about 120 kilometers away by road.
This is the crux of the matter. An aerial surveillance unit, a festival two hours away by car, and a table reserved by phone. While this coincidence alone proves nothing, it turns an incident without injuries into an issue of public spending oversight. This episode occurs amidst ongoing scrutiny: the same administration that fines drivers citing road safety ends up with a broken tail rotor against a tree.
Cortijo Blanco: truck parking and loyal clientele
The restaurant is located next to the A-7 highway, near a gas station, with ample free parking space, including for trucks. In circulated images, the helicopter appears behind the building among trees, not in the open lot in front. This detail has fueled various comments regarding the precision of the landing.
In online discussions, users describe it as a cheap, fast-service spot with friendly staff, noting the owner, a man over 80, taking orders like any other employee. "You eat well where the trucks park," goes the road saying. Here, the irony wrote itself, and not in favor of the pilot.
Contact email on the Junta domain
A message in the thread reproduces a contact email for the restaurant's website hosted on the Junta de Andalucía (Andalusian Regional Government) domain. The same debate links training calls from Ifapa, the Andalusian agricultural research institute.
Some argue this constitutes misuse of public resources; others attribute it to the lack of IT knowledge of whoever set up the page years ago, when creating a custom email seemed unnecessary. Determining which explanation is correct is beyond the scope of accident reports. What is clear is that the discussion has crossed the digital footprint of the establishment with that of the Andalusian administration.
March precedent: cocaine, methamphetamines, and arrest
Months earlier, in March, another DGT helicopter—valued at several million euros—crashed during an emergency landing near Robledo de Chavela, Madrid. The incident was more absurd than tragic: the pilot was accused of fleeing the scene and was arrested by the Guardia Civil after testing positive for cocaine and methamphetamines, according to published reports. On board was a second Traffic officer operating the camera and, as later revealed, his vvife.
That episode now serves as a benchmark. Some argue the system fails to remove those who err and that the pilot returned to the controls shortly after.
What happens after crashing a public helicopter
Two incidents in five months involving the same fleet. In the La Mojonera case, the official report limits itself to describing human error and does not address administrative consequences. Published information does not detail if files are open, suspensions occurred, or if paid leave applies while investigations proceed.
This lack of information fuels a sense of impunity. It also explains why an injury-free accident on an Almería road became a debate on public money usage. Some joke that entrance exams for Traffic helicopter pilots have low requirements. The joke points to something serious: if entry filters are lax, errors are paid for in euros and headlines.
The report accurately describes the dust, loss of references, and the tree. The uncomfortable part remains unresolved: what was that helicopter doing taking off from the capital's airfield only to end up parked behind a restaurant.
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (112 replies).
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