Date:	Friday 4 July 1997
Time:	23:02
Type:	Aérospatiale AS 350 B Ecureuil
Owner/operator:	Héli Inter/SAMU
Registration:	F-GDFG
MSN:	1514
Year of manufacture:	1982
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 4
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Category:	Accident
Location:	Bordeneuve, east of Puivert, Aude -   France
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Ambulance
Departure airport:	Corbières Espezel, Aude, France
Destination airport:	University Hospital of Carcassonne, Aude, France
Investigating agency:	BEA
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
On 4 July 1997, during a medical evacuation carried out at night, from the village in the Corbières Espezel to the University Hospital of Carcassonne, the pilot encountered adverse weather conditions. Two people, one living at a farm in Bordeneuve, and the other in the hamlet of Saint-André, saw the aircraft flying at very low altitude and heard an explosion.

The accident occurred in an area of ​​very hilly and heavily wooded pre-mountain about fifty kilometers south-west of Carcassonne, in the foothills of the Corbières, at a place called Bordeneuve, east of Puivert. All four persons on board - Dr. Rami Nicolas (doctor), Alain Ferrie (nurse anesthetist), Claude Berscheid (pilot), and Jean-Claude VACQUIE (patient) - were killed

A memorial stone and plaque has been erected at the crash site along the provincial road 121, inside of a bend, 1900 meters north of the junction of the D12.

1. https://www.bea.aero/docspa/1997/f-fg970704/htm/f-fg970704.html
2. http://www.bea.aero/docspa/1997/f-fg970704/pdf/f-fg970704.pdf
3. http://www.aerosteles.net/fiche.php?code=puivert-samu
4. http://www.griffin-helicopters.co.uk/accidentdetails.aspx?accidentkey=4018
5. [LINK NOT WORKING ANYMORE:http://coptercrazy.brinkster.net/search/se350show.asp?start=501&count=50]

Photo de l'appareil alors qu'il était en service en Guadeloupe

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
27-Sep-2008 01:00	ASN archive	Added
29-Dec-2010 09:49	Anon.	Updated
01-Apr-2013 15:32	TB	Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Cn, Operator, Location, Phase, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, ]
04-Jul-2014 20:22	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, ]
04-Jul-2014 20:24	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative, ]
04-Jul-2014 20:33	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Departure airport, Destination airport, Narrative, ]