The accident of an NH-90 Sarrio helicopter of the Spanish Army on a night flight

The Spanish Army's Aeromobile Forces (FAMET) suffered an accident yesterday during a night flight.

Airbus shows the three Spanish versions of the NH90 military helicopter together at last
Spanish NH-90 helicopters flying over Scotland with British Apache Guardians

According to the Efe agency, the accident occurred in the town of Torrecilla en Cameros, in La Rioja. SOS La Rioja received the notice at 9:36 p.m. A NH-90 helicopter crashed into the side of a mountain near the N-111 highway, 30 kilometers from the city of Logroño. Here we can see the RTVE La Rioja video about this accident:

Un helicóptero NH-90 SARRIO, del Ejercito de Tierra, sufrió anoche un accidente en un vuelo de instrucción en la sierra de los Cameros. Viajaban cuatro militares: tres salieron ilesos y uno con una fractura en una pierna, por lo que está hospitalizado.
Informa: David Marcotegui pic.twitter.com/B1HnU898Ir

— RTVELaRioja (@RTVELaRioja) February 20, 2025

The crashed aircraft belongs to the Third Maneuver Helicopter Battalion (BHELMA III), based in Agoncillo (La Rioja), and was making a training flight with night vision goggles in the Sierra de Cameros. The causes of the accident are currently unknown.

At the time of the crash, the helicopter was carrying four crew members. Three were unharmed and one suffered a broken leg. He was hospitalised awaiting surgery. In this photo from Efe we ​​can see the NH-90 on the side of the mountain and a FAMET H135 helicopter flying over the area.

In this other photo from Efe we ​​can see the helicopter in more detail (click on the image to enlarge it). The aircraft overturned on its right side, so the main rotor must have been seriously damaged. Significant damage can also be seen on the tail.

In this screenshot from the RTVE La Rioja video we can see that the helicopter had its landing gear deployed, so it is possible that the pilot had tried to make an emergency landing. The tail appears to be twisted, judging by the position of the stabilizer. The tail rotor is also likely to have been damaged.

In this other capture from the RTVE La Rioja video we can see in more detail the damage to the tail and the broken tree branches near the helicopter, probably as a consequence of the sudden descent.

There are currently 15 NH-90s in operation for BHELMA III. The Army received its first NH-90 in December 2014. It has ordered a fleet of 26 units and deliveries continue. This is the first accident of the NH-90 in Spain. According to Flightsafety.org, this model has suffered 13 accidents since 2008. The operator with the most accidents has been the Australian Army, with three helicopters lost and four crew members killed. The registration number of the helicopter that crashed has not yet been reported.

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Main photo: Efe.