Date:	Wednesday 16 May 2018
Time:	c. 10:00 LT
Type:	Eurocopter AS 350B3+ Écureuil
Owner/operator:	Air Zermatt
Registration:	HB-ZKF
MSN:	4541
Year of manufacture:	2008
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Category:	Accident
Location:	near Raron aerodrome (VS) -   Switzerland
Phase:	Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.)
Nature:	External load operation
Departure airport:	Raron Airfield (LSTA)
Destination airport:	Raron Airfield (LSTA)
Investigating agency:	STSB
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
The accident occurred during an exercise with an underslung firefighting bucket. The aircraft clipped a power line and came to rest in a lake.
The pilot, alone on board, managed to get out of the machine. Injured, he was transported to hospital in Bern.


Causes
The accident in which a helicopter collided with a high-voltage line while taking up water in a lake was due to the fact that the pilot did not notice the helicopter drifting to the side during the hovering flight by means of a vertical reference to the water surface.
No person was following the operation from the ground, hence no warning could be given.

https://www.lematin.ch/news/standard/helicoptere-air-zermatt-crashe-valais/story/20945476
https://www.facebook.com/airzermatt.ch/photos/a.247445185292390.52419.232500263453549/1674946615875566/?type=3

______________________
https://www.air-zermatt.ch/wordpress/en/
https://abpic.co.uk/pictures/view/1271616

Other occurrences involving this aircraft


29 August 2014

HB-ZKF

Eisten, VS

unk

Photo: Police cantonale valaisanne

An Air Zermatt helicopter crashed into a small lake in Valais between Raron and Visp. The pilot was able to get out of the wreckage. Switzerland.https://t.co/7u4UZ1zOl7 pic.twitter.com/l6RuxO56Cc

— Planes Of Legend (@PlanesOfLegend) 16 mai 2018

Helikopter der #AirZermatt macht Notlandung in Baggersee. Der Pilot befreit sich leicht verletzt aus dem Wrack. https://t.co/E9S4G1KHSj ^sh pic.twitter.com/rSNwQGPdCK

— SRF News (@srfnews) 16 mai 2018

Raron: The crashed Air Zermatt AS350 helicopter was out of the water, Switzerland.https://t.co/z4XeeGr7xA pic.twitter.com/9lr1jOciL7

— Planes Of Legend (@PlanesOfLegend) 17 mai 2018

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
16-May-2018 14:00	Iceman 29	Added
16-May-2018 14:02	Iceman 29	Updated [Embed code, ]
16-May-2018 14:07	Iceman 29	Updated [Time, Embed code, ]
16-May-2018 14:11	Iceman 29	Updated [Aircraft type, Registration, Source, ]
16-May-2018 14:12	Iceman 29	Updated [Aircraft type, ]
16-May-2018 14:12	Anon.	Updated [Aircraft type, ]
16-May-2018 14:13	harro	Updated [Aircraft type, Registration, Cn, Source, ]
16-May-2018 14:14	harro	Updated [Aircraft type, ]
16-May-2018 14:19	Iceman 29	Updated [Photo, ]
16-May-2018 14:23	Anon.	Updated [Damage, ]
16-May-2018 16:04	Geno	Updated [Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, ]
16-May-2018 18:05	Iceman 29	Updated [Aircraft type, ]
16-May-2018 19:26	Aerossurance	Updated [Aircraft type, Location, Narrative, ]
16-May-2018 21:26	Aerossurance	Updated [Narrative, ]
17-May-2018 20:25	Iceman 29	Updated [Embed code, ]
08-May-2019 17:36	harro	Updated [Departure airport, Destination airport, Embed code, Narrative, Accident report, ]
09-Dec-2020 08:45	harro	Updated [Departure airport, Destination airport, Photo, ]
07-Dec-2023 21:02	harro	Updated [Other fatalities, ]