Fatal heli crash in Dominican Republic

[WhirlyBob]

According to Fox news, a helicopter crashed in the Dominican Republic Thursday fatally injuring both persons on board.
Helicopter Crashes in Dominican Republic, Killing 2 - International News | News of the World | Middle East News | Europe News - FOXNews.com (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,522678,00.html)

The helicopter type was given as an E480B, and if this is correct, this sadly may be the first ever fatality in that type.

Does anyone have any more info on the crash circumstances or conditions? Also, can anybody correct me if I'm wrong about the 480's previously unblemished record?

Needless to say, the tragedy is the loss of the pilot and pax and I don't mean to trivialize that, of course.

[ppheli]

The reg is given on a Latin American website (http://desastresaereosnews.*************/2009/05/queda-de-helicoptero-mata-2-na.html) as N878EE, which is indeed a 480B, serial 5122

[iuk1963]

ASN Aircraft accident 28-MAY-2009 Enstrom E480B N878EE (http://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=65252)

"A helicopter which took off from La Romana Airport and headed to the Isabela terminal at Higüero Santo Domingo, crashed around noon Thursday, killing its two occupants.
The Dominican Civil Aviation Institute said the chopper’s pilot reported mechanical trouble shortly after take off at 10:20 a.m.
One of the two victims of the private registry aircraft which crashed at the Batey Lechuga, near the town Guaymate, La Romana province is the pilot Miguel Perez, who several years ago flew for the politician Amable Aristy.
The cause of the accident of the white and blue, N878EE, Kansas, U.S. registry, Enstrom model E480B chopper, which took place at 12:30 p.m., has yet to be determined."

[Ian Corrigible]

Especially tragic given that the aircraft involved only recently entered service (http://74.125.47.132/search?q=cache:QyhbR-mY7rQJ:www.shephard.co.uk/news/2830/+enstrom+%22dominican+republic&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us).

I/C