ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 178452
Last updated: 10 December 2020
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| Date: | 08-AUG-2015 |
| Time: | 14:05 LT |
| Type: |  Eurocopter AS 350B3 Ecureuil |
| Owner/operator: | Everjets, opf Autoridade Nacional de Protecção Civil |
| Registration: | CS-HIA |
| C/n / msn: | 3699 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 6 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Written off (damaged beyond repair) |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Lapa, Refoios de Cima, Arcos de Valdevez, Minho -
 Portugal
|
| Phase: | Landing |
| Nature: | Fire fighting |
| Departure airport: | Arcos de Valdevez |
| Arcos de Valdevez | |
| Investigating agency: | GPIAAF Portugal |
The helicopter was returning from a fire fighting operation at Valença.
While attempting to land with tail wind in gusty conditions the helicopter sank and despite the pilot efforts the tail rotor ended up striking the ground. Helicopter started to spin and crashed in a
local road.
The fuselage came to rest on its left hand side on a hillside. Two of the six occupants (1 pilot and five firemen) received minor injuries.
Probable causes:
Ineffective or non-existent risk analysis by the pilot in performing an unplanned approach and landing manoeuvre was identified as the probable cause for the accident.
Contributing factors:
The spirit of mission in pursuit of an objective understood by the pilot as a priority and underlined by the GIPS team.
The pilot’s degraded performance, consistent with the effects of some degree of fatigue, limited his ability to properly assess the risks during landing phase on mountainous region.
The meteorological conditions contributed to the accident due to the high temperatures and unstable atmosphere with gusty winds conditions.
The terrain orography may had also contributed to generate strong turbulence with downward gust on the south region of the hill, as significant wind was coming from the north.
Sources:
http://www.cmjornal.xl.pt/cm_ao_minuto/detalhe/dois_feridos_ligeiros_em_incidente_com_helicoptero.html
http://web.archive.org/web/20150809175048/http://news.libertagia.com:80/society/acidente-com-helicoptero-de-combate-a-fogos-faz-dois-feridos-em-ponte-de-lima
http://www.publico.pt/portugal/noticia/helicoptero-de-combate-a-fogos-cai-em-ponte-de-lima-1704457
https://www.jn.pt/paginainicial/pais/concelho.aspx?Distrito=Viana%20do%20Castelo&Concelho=Ponte%20de%20Lima&Option=Interior&content_id=4721141
http://allaircraft.net/4images/details.php?image_id=22856&sessionid=jtaoqjnrm8pnh1fm404s5ni210
http://www.bea.aero/fr/enquetes/2015/2015.semaine.33.pdf
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Images:
Photo: GPIAAF
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 09-Aug-2015 14:59 | Fusko | Added |
| 09-Aug-2015 15:00 | harro | Updated [Aircraft type] |
| 09-Aug-2015 18:09 | Geno | Updated [Registration, Cn, Other fatalities, Source] |
| 10-Aug-2015 19:56 | Aerossurance | Updated [Narrative] |
| 18-Aug-2015 22:11 | Aerossurance | Updated [Time, Phase, Source, Narrative] |
| 01-Apr-2019 17:12 | harro | Updated [Operator, Narrative, Photo, Accident report, ] |
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