QUITO, March 2 (Reuters) - A helicopter crash that killed Ecuador's defense minister in January was caused by human error and violations in air safety procedures, according to a report by a commission of international experts released on Friday.

Defense Minister Guadalupe Larriva, her daughter and five military officials were killed on Jan. 24 when the helicopter they were traveling in collided with another helicopter and crashed near Ecuador's coast.

Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa called in Chilean and French aviation experts to investigate the crash after Larriva's Socialist Party raised questions about whether the crash was an accident.

The commission's report, parts of which were released by the Defense Ministry, said the pilots of the two helicopters violated safety regulations by failing to keep distance and did not have sufficient training or equipment for night flights.

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