Robinson R44 accident near Asuncion, Py, February 2, 2013
On February 2, 2013 at about 9:15 pm local time, a Robinson R44, registered ZPHAH, was destroyed in an accident during enroute near Asuncion. It was a personal flight under non-U.S. private rules. 3 people were killed.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 2, 2013 · about 9:15 pm local time
- Place
- Asuncion, Paraguay · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- not recorded
- Aircraft
- Robinson R44 II · all R44s on the register
- Registration
- ZPHAH · no longer on the register · serial 12844
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · non-U.S. private rules
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On February 2, 2013, about 2115 local time (February 3, 2013, 0015 coordinated universal time), a Robinson R44, Paraguayan registration ZP-HAH, operated by Helitactica S.A., was destroyed when it impacted sparsely populated terrain about 27 nautical miles west-northwest of Puerto Antequera, Paraguay. Night lighting conditions prevailed at the time with rain showers in the vicinity. The private pilot and two passengers, one a presidential candidate, were fatally injured. The flight, which originated at Teniente Coronel Carmelo Peralta Airport (SGCO), Concepcion, Paraguay, was en route to Sajonia Naval Base, Asuncion, Paraguay, and was operating under Paraguayan flight regulations. The accident investigation is under the jurisdiction of the government of Paraguay. Any further information pertaining to this accident may be obtained from: Direccion Nacional de Aeronautica Civil Centro de Investigacion y Prevencion de Accidentes Aeronauticos (CIPAA) Aeropuerto International Silvio Pettirossi CC 1752 Asuncion Asuncion Paraguay Phone: (595-21) 64559 Fax: (595-21) 645599 This report is for informational purposes, and only contains information that was released by the government of Paraguay.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Loss of control in flight during enroute defining event
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: instructor: helicopter
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-AEIA5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SGCO Concepcion
- Destination: NONE Asuncion
- Flight plan: not recorded
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under ZPHAH the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.