Experts begin investigations at site of General Bernales’ helicopter crash in Panamá

SANTIAGO.- A survey of the wreckage will be performed in Panama today where a SAN-100 helicopter crash ended the lives of 11 people, including Chile’s National Police Chief, José Alejandro Bernales.

Chilean experts Andrés Barrios and Óscar Rivas, officials from the General Civil Aeronautics Department (DGAC) who have been sent to Panama, affirmed that they have received “all the resources” necessary to do their job.

According to Radio Cooperativa, the international group assigned to study the aircraft includes experts from the company Bell, which designed the UH-1H helicopter and from Pratt and Whitney, which supplies motors.  The group will try to determine whether or not a mechanical failure was to blame for the tragedy.

The shopping center the helicopter crashed into may have to be demolished following the investigation.