A tragic accident occurred on Thanksgiving Day marring the celebration for many in Casa de Campo community. Villa owner French racecar driver 28-year old Richard Philippe and his guests, his grandfather 78-year old Louis Paul Guitay, Swiss architect Jean-Pierre Emery and Geraldine Moschovis died in a helicopter crash when making their way back from Rio San Juan on the north coast to Casa de Campo. The helicopter was commanded by 38-year old Air Force pilot Roberto Lanfranco Ureña.
Guitay was the inventor of the Endermologie treatment that is used in Europe to get rid of stubborn fat and cellulite and for skin tone. And 70-year Jean-Pierre Emery was a well-known architect from Crans-Montana in Switzerland. 46-year old Moschovis, a textiles expert, was his companion. The Swiss were Phillippe’s guests in Casa de Campo.
The five died of multiple fractures when the helicopter they were flying crashed in a field in Batey Cacata in La Romana. They were on board the US registry N124M EC20 helicopter shortly before arriving to the La Romana International Airport.
A report in El Nacional details the speculation that the accident occurred because of insufficient fuel when flying in adverse flying conditions (nighttime and weather). This is because the aircraft did not go up in flames after the crash and the pilot never notified aviation authorities he was in an emergency. The pilot had left at 5:48pm when the sunset was for 6:01pm that evening.
A commission head by Colonel Pilot Emmanuel Souffront Tamayo, president of the Commission for Investigating Aircraft Accidents of the Civil Aviation Board (JAC) was named. An autopsy is being carried out by the National Institute of Forensic Sciences (INACIF). There is speculation the pilot over trusted his flight abilities when flying from Rio San Juan to La Romana despite the late hour.
The aircraft was reported missing at 6:37pm on Thursday, 22 November 2018 when the helicopter did not arrive as per the flight plan.
Lanfranco Ureña was buried with honors by the Air Force at the Parque del Prado cemetery. He had 19 years and 9 months of service in the Air Force.
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El Nacional
26 November 2018
