The Peruvian Air Force said the Russian-made Mil Mi-17 lost contact Sunday afternoon while flying from Lima to the Arequipa Region along the country’s southern coast. The aircraft was expected to arrive at a regional base at approximately 4:20 p.m. local time.

According to officials, the helicopter’s final radio communication occurred near Chala. Minutes later, its SkyRouter tracking system showed a fixed position east of the town near the village of Chala Vieja, prompting the Air Force to declare an emergency and initiate a search-and-rescue operation with support from the National Police of Peru.

Ground patrols reached the mountainous crash site early Monday morning and located the wreckage at about 6:30 a.m.

“Unfortunately, we have no survivors,” Air Force Operations Commander Lt. Gen. Gregorio César Mendiola Lomparte said during a press briefing. Recovery efforts remain ongoing.

The Air Force identified the four crew members killed in the crash as Major Sergio Danner Paucar Centurión, First Lieutenant Luis Fernando Huertas Cárcamo, First Class Petty Officer Kamila Chapi Anchapuri Jove, and Second Class Petty Officer Leiner Aguirre Huamán.

The 11 passengers included seven minors between the ages of 3 and 17, along with four adult civilians.

Officials said the helicopter had been conducting search-and-rescue and disaster-response missions in the Arequipa region, where recent flooding and landslides have disrupted stretches of the Pan-American Highway. The Air Force noted that authorized civilians are permitted to travel aboard logistical transport flights supporting emergency operations.

The aircraft underwent a major inspection in November 2024 and had accumulated 287 flight hours since that review. Its next major inspection had been scheduled for 2031.

An accident investigation board has been convened to determine the cause of the crash.