On Friday, October 17, 2025, the Chilean Air Force (Fuerza Aérea de Chile, FACh) press service reported the discovery of the wreckage of a Lockheed Martin/Sikorsky MH-60M Black Hawk multirole helicopter (local designation of S-70i helicopter manufactured by PZL Mielec) that had gone missing the previous day. The crash occurred in the area of the Eduardo García Soto Shelter in the Aysén Region, on the Southern Patagonian Ice Field.
Until the time of the crash, the Chilean Air Force (FACh) operated six MH-60M helicopters / Photo: FACh
The fatal flight took place on Thursday, when the helicopter departed from Villa O’Higgins Airfield, heading toward the Southern Patagonian Ice Field, a territory disputed with Argentina. The crew reported adverse weather conditions, extremely low temperatures and strong winds, before all communication was lost.
The Ministry of Defense and FACh Command immediately activated the Search and Rescue (SAR) System protocol, deploying additional helicopters, aircraft, and personnel from the PARASAR unit (Paracaidistas de Rescate Aéreo y Salvamento) to the area where the MH-60M had made its last radio contact. The Army also joined the effort, sending a specialized team to assist in the search.
Minister of Defense Adriana Delpiano said that according to Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Hugo Rodríguez, all necessary resources were used in the operation.
The helicopter was located in the early morning hours of Friday (local time). Of the four-person crew, one person was found dead at the scene. Later, the victim was identified as 32-year-old Capt. Sergio Hidalgo Leiva, who served as a pilot with the 9th Aviation Group (Grupo de Aviación Nº9) under the 2nd Air Brigade (II Brigada Aérea). He had 11 years of experience as a pilot and instructor. The survivors were transported aboard a C-130H Hercules to the FACh Institutional Hospital in Santiago.
An investigation was launched in parallel to determine the cause of the crash. The MH-60M crews carry out humanitarian support missions for Chileans living in remote and extreme regions of the country — this flight was one such mission.
It should be recalled that between August and October 2018, Chile received six Lockheed Martin/Sikorsky S-70i Black Hawk International multirole helicopters, ordered on December 7, 2016, and manufactured at PZL Mielec in Poland. They were locally designated as MH-60M Black Hawk and serve alongside Bell UH-1N Iroquois helicopters at the Pudahuel Air Base in Santiago. They are complemented by 15 Bell 412 helicopters introduced into service in 2009.
On April 17, 2023, a procedure was launched to select a supplier for 14 additional multirole helicopters to replace the aging UH-1H fleet. Meanwhile, on May 24, 2024, Gen. Hugo Rodríguez informed the Defense Committee of the National Congress’s Chamber of Deputies of the urgent need to procure two more MH-60M helicopters.
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