On May 17, 1999, at 1105 eastern standard time, a Bell 206L4 helicopter, Ecuadorian registration HC-BYQ (serial number 52207), was substantially damaged during impact with water following a loss of control while attempting to takeoff from a remote high altitude field site near Cuenca, Ecuador. The commercial pilot and one of his passengers sustained serious injuries, while two other passengers sustained minor injuries. The helicopter was owned and operated by ICARO S.A, an Ecuadorian air taxi operator based in Quito, Ecuador. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the air taxi flight. The flight, which was destined for Guayaquil, Ecuador, was originating at the time of the accident.

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