ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 219553
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| Date: | Saturday 15 December 2018 |
| Time: | 18:40 UTC |
| Type: |  Agusta A109S Grand |
| Owner/operator: | Babcock MCS Portugal |
| Registration: | I-EITC |
| MSN: | 22007 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 4 |
| Aircraft damage: | Written off (damaged beyond repair) |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Serra da Santa Justa, Valongo, near Porto -
 Portugal
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Ambulance |
| Departure airport: | Massarelos Heliport (LPDA) |
| Paredes-Baltar Heliport (LPPB) | |
| Investigating agency: | GPIAAF |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
An Agusta A109S helicopter with registration I-EITC, after an urgent inter-hospital transport service of the National Medical Emergency Institute (INEM), took off from Massarelos heliport (LPDA) at 18:35 having the destination Macedo de Cavaleiros heliport (LPMC), the aircraft’s operational base location, with a planned technical stop for refuelling at Paredes-Baltar heliport (LPPB).
On board there were two operator’s crew members, a Pilot in Command and a Co-pilot, and two INEM medical crew, a doctor and a nurse, both without technical flight duty assignments.
After the initial climb coordinated with Porto International Airport (LPPR) Air Traffic Control ATC) services, during the en route flight phase with adverse meteorological conditions, between Massarelos heliport and Paredes-Baltar heliport, at 18:40 UTC, the aircraft collides with a radio broadcasting support tower, located in Serra de Santa Justa, Valongo.
After the main rotor blades contacted the tower and its locking wires, the aircraft began a continuous disintegration until finally the main parts crashed on the East slope of the hill, 384 meters from the point of impact. None of the occupants survived the violent ground impact.
The investigation determined as most probable cause for the accident, the aircraft main rotor contact with a radio broadcasting tower.
For the accident, the following factors contributed:
― VFR flight below the minimum altitudes provided in the regulations;
― The crew forcing to maintain visual conditions with the ground, with marginal visibility conditions;
― Operation on heliports without radio aids not allowing non-visual approach up-to a given altitude, compelling conditions for routine violation as per current regulations;
― Due to orography, terrain artificial light conditions and atmospheric conditions, it is likely that the pilot understood that the terrain would be transposed without significant risk;
― The aircraft contractual selection and acceptance with its specified range associated with lack of fuel supply solutions at the origin heliport (Massarelos);
― The lack of night signalling on the nearest lower tower or in at the intermediate level of the accidented tower, as well as the adjacent towers installed in Serra de Santa Justa.
Sources:
https://helihub.com/2018/12/15/15-dec-18-i-eitc-leonardo-aw109s-serra-de-pias-portugal-4f/
https://navva.org/portugal/portugal/four-deaths-confirmed-by-inem-helicopter-accident-in-valongo-portugal/
https://sicnoticias.sapo.pt/pais/2018-12-16-Investigacao-refere-que-helicoptero-do-INEM-tera-embatido-numa-antena
https://www.cmjornal.pt/portugal/detalhe/alerta-cm--helicoptero-do-inem-desaparece-em-valongo
https://www.elmundo.es/internacional/2018/12/15/5c15858d21efa075618b46a3.html
https://www.cmjornal.pt/portugal/detalhe/acidente-com-helicoptero-do-inem-e-o-mais-grave-este-ano
https://observador.pt/2018/12/15/helicoptero-do-inem-desaparece-em-valongo-buscas-a-decorrer/
https://www.theportugalnews.com/news/investigation-into-inem-helicopter-accident-detects-lack-of-anac-supervision/53424
http://aerossurance.com/helicopters/hems-aw109s-radio-mast-cfit/
ANPC ___________________________________
Preliminary report https://cdn.cmjornal.pt/files/2018-12/2018-12-18_18_40_38_RELATORIO-Acidente_Heli_INEM.pdf
GPIAA
http://www.gpiaa.gov.pt?cr=10657
DATA___________________________________
https://www.flightradar24.com/data/aircraft/i-eitc#1ee12fbc
https://www.jn.pt/local/galerias/interior/as-imagens-dos-destrocos-do-helicoptero-do-inem-que-caiu-em-valongo-10330968.html
https://images.impresa.pt/sicnot/2018-12-15-helicoptero-.JPG-3/original/mw-860
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Images:
Figure: GPIAAF
Photo: GPIAAF
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 16-Dec-2018 02:13 | RobertMB | Added |
| 16-Dec-2018 05:09 | RobertMB | Updated [Aircraft type] |
| 16-Dec-2018 05:42 | RobertMB | Updated [Aircraft type, Total occupants, Location, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 16-Dec-2018 05:44 | RobertMB | Updated [Operator, Narrative] |
| 16-Dec-2018 05:46 | RobertMB | Updated [Narrative] |
| 16-Dec-2018 05:46 | RobertMB | Updated [Operator, Narrative] |
| 16-Dec-2018 05:50 | RobertMB | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
| 16-Dec-2018 09:27 | harro | Updated [Registration, Operator, Source, Narrative] |
| 16-Dec-2018 09:30 | harro | Updated [Aircraft type, Cn, Narrative] |
| 16-Dec-2018 12:03 | Anon. | Updated [Narrative] |
| 16-Dec-2018 13:11 | RobertMB | Updated [Narrative] |
| 16-Dec-2018 14:24 | RobertMB | Updated [Registration, Source, Narrative] |
| 16-Dec-2018 15:35 | Iceman 29 | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
| 16-Dec-2018 23:35 | Iceman 29 | Updated [Source, Embed code] |
| 17-Dec-2018 00:42 | Iceman 29 | Updated [Source, Embed code] |
| 17-Dec-2018 10:12 | Anon. | Updated [Embed code, Narrative] |
| 17-Dec-2018 14:55 | RobertMB | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
| 17-Dec-2018 22:41 | Iceman 29 | Updated [Narrative, Photo] |
| 17-Dec-2018 22:42 | Iceman 29 | Updated [Photo] |
| 19-Dec-2018 20:09 | Iceman 29 | Updated [Source, Photo] |
| 19-Dec-2018 20:09 | Iceman 29 | Updated [Photo] |
| 20-Dec-2018 19:26 | Anon. | Updated [Location] |
| 20-Dec-2018 19:26 | harro | Updated [Location] |
| 20-Dec-2018 20:50 | Anon. | Updated [Location, Departure airport, Narrative] |
| 30-Dec-2018 00:09 | Geno | Updated [Destination airport] |
| 18-Mar-2019 14:22 | Aerossurance | Updated [Source] |
| 14-Mar-2020 17:54 | harro | Updated [Time, Operator, Departure airport, Destination airport, Narrative, Accident report, ] |
| 14-Mar-2020 17:58 | harro | Updated [Photo, Accident report, ] |
| 05-Apr-2020 11:41 | Aerossurance | Updated [Time, Location, Source] |
| 05-Apr-2020 12:25 | Aerossurance | Updated [Embed code] |
| 05-Apr-2020 12:26 | Aerossurance | Updated [Nature, Embed code] |
| 14-Nov-2023 09:46 | harro | Updated [Other fatalities] |
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