Beja: Crime, damage or disease ? PJM investigating the death of Sergeant Gonçalves.
The death of "Speedy Gonzalez", It was known as the 1st Sergeant Gonçalves, 34 year old, that occurred during the Real Thaw exercise 2019 (RT19) It is being investigated by the Judicial Police Military (PJM), three vectors: crime, equipment malfunction or operating the sudden illness.
The body of the parachutist, natural Lordelo, Paredes municipality, it was autopsied, form of exceptional, during the Saturday morning at the Legal Medical Office Beja (GMLBeja), has learned the Lidador News (LN), by requirement / interference of the Ministry of Defense.
The urn sealed with the remains of 1st Sergeant Gonçalves left the GMLBeja to 17,50 Saturday hours, towards Parachutist Regiment (RP), based in Tancos, which was veiled with military honors, It is cremated tomorrow on Monday in Port. The violence of the impact on the ground was so very violent so that the body could not be military dress, much less be seen by family, friends and comrades in arms.
The accident happened during the multinational exercise "Real Thaw 2019" (RT19), joining in Beja Airmen, Navy and Portuguese army and forces of Denmark, Spain, France, Holland, United States and Nato, in total 600 participants and 21 Aircraft.
The 1st Sergeant Manuel António Teixeira Gonçalves, military SOGA (Operating jumpers High Altitude) RP died after jumping, in which up to 15.000 feet, next to 5.000 meters, the parachutist triggered the opening mechanism of the main parachute, which for unknown reasons did not open. for damage, inability of the operator or trapping, the second parachute was not triggered until the clearance height, 3.500 feet, next to 1.000 meters, what shot to death the military.
In addition to the causes of death of Sergeant 1st Gonçalves, MYM will have to investigate further detail no less important and it has to do with the chronological difference between the occurrence of alerts. The army statement said that the military "died following an accident at 09,40 hours", when the Civil Protection (PROCIV) It states that "the order of first alert occurred at 10,46 hours". Situation for JN, Public Relations (RP) the Army and Air Force, become "a ball goes" communication accountability.
A Major Elisabete Silva, Army, He maintained that the accident "occurred within the BA11", turn Lt. Col. Manuel Costa, Air Force, He claimed to be "the authorities conducting the investigation", read: Military Judicial Police (PJM), which was called to the scene.
The only confirmed fact is that the Portuguese paratrooper was killed, within the perimeter of the Air Base (BA) 11, in Beja, following an operational free-fall jump. The military had immediate death, given the violence of the crash to the ground.
After warning the Air Force to CODU, It was triggered one of the INEM ambulance Beja Fire (BVBeja) and the Medical Car Emergency and Resuscitation (VMER) the city hospital Alentejo. The ambulance INEM entered the BA11, but by virtue of the military have been declared dead, the same eventually returned without the body. In turn, the VMER was demobilized when I followed the path of military unit.
The President of the Republic, the government, through the Minister of Defense, the Army and the Parachute Regiment publicly mourned the death of Sergeant 1st SOGA. The former commander of the regiment, Colonel Hilario Fishmonger, which integrates the power of the European Mission of Military Training in the Central African Republic wrote: "We are all in mourning and we miss this brother who went on duty, QNPVSC (What Never for Overdue If Know)".
One of the strongest messages and sentimental spirit of a paratrooper appeared on facebook page of the Military Zone Commander and Madeira Operational, former commander of the Rapid Reaction Brigade (BrigRR), it belongs to the Regiment Parachutist, He recalled the last public presence sergeant in the Military Tournament Accuracy Landing in Funchal, in June 2019: "That sad news. The young Gonçalves, "Speedy Gonzales" let's ... but also remember that he was part of the history of paratroopers " (both pictured in Funchal).
This was the first fatal crash of a military parachutist in a national or international exercise in Portugal, mainland islands. After the death of military, the Air Force decided to suspend the exercise of multinational operations RT19, between Friday and Sunday.
Teixeira Correia
(journalist)
