Accident Robinson R44 Astro F-GPJG,
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ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 162810
 
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Date:Friday 20 December 2013
Time:17:15 LT
Type:Silhouette image of generic R44 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Robinson R44 Astro
Owner/operator:Heli-Cognac Sarl
Registration: F-GPJG
MSN: 0567
Year of manufacture:1999
Fatalities:Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 4
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Category:Accident
Location:Dordogne River, near Lugon-et-l'île-du-Carnay -   France
Phase: Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.)
Nature:Private
Departure airport:Château de la Rivière
Destination airport:Château de la Rivière
Investigating agency: BEA
Confidence Rating: Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Narrative:
Four people including a Chinese billionaire and his 12-year-old son died after the helicopter that was overflying his newly purchased French vineyard crashed into the Dordogne river.

According to the BEA the accident was probably due to the decision to initiate and continue a flight very low height above water.

Several factors have contributed to this event according to the BEA final report:
- the difficulty of assessing a height above a body of water;
- the inconvenience caused by the sun's position low on the horizon;
- the mood of the day that have prompted the pilot to improvise developments.

Accident investigation:
cover
  
Investigating agency: BEA
Report number: BEA f-jg131220
Status: Investigation completed
Duration: 3 years and 11 months
Download report: Final report

Sources:

http://www.lefigaro.fr/flash-actu/2013/12/20/97001-20131220FILWWW00496-un-helicoptere-s-ecrase-en-gironde.php
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/chinese-billionaire/930064.html
https://www.bangkokpost.com/news/asia/386004/chinese-billionaire-missing-after-france-helicopter-cras
https://www.bea.aero/fileadmin/documents/docspa/2013/f-jg131220.en/pdf/f-jg131220.en.pdf
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/12/21/us-france-china-chateau-idUSBRE9BK05W20131221?feedType=RSS&feedName=businessNews
https://www.pprune.org/rotorheads/530352-accident-bordeaux.html
https://www.ntsb.gov/aviationquery/brief.aspx?ev_id=20131223X13312&key=1
http://aeroporttlp.canalblog.com/
http://www.businessinsider.com/chinese-billionaire-and-french-winemaker-die-in-helicopter-crash-while-celebrating-chateau-sale-2013-12

Location

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
21-Dec-2013 08:33 gerard57 Added
21-Dec-2013 08:37 harro Updated [Location, Source]
21-Dec-2013 11:42 gerard57 Updated [Total fatalities, Other fatalities, Source, Narrative]
21-Dec-2013 19:55 Alpine Flight Updated [Aircraft type, Location]
21-Dec-2013 20:27 Geno Updated [Source]
22-Dec-2013 02:14 Geno Updated [Registration, Cn, Operator, Source]
22-Dec-2013 08:40 Alpine Flight Updated [Aircraft type, Total fatalities]
05-Feb-2014 01:32 Geno Updated [Time, Departure airport, Source]
03-Oct-2014 16:50 Aerossurance Updated [Destination airport, Source]
05-Apr-2015 09:51 Aerossurance Updated [Phase, Source, Narrative]
14-May-2017 18:12 helicoman Updated [Source]
06-Dec-2017 18:07 harro Updated [Narrative]

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