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| Date: | Thursday 3 October 2024 |
| Time: | 12:23 UTC |
| Type: |  Airbus H125 |
| Owner/operator: | |
| Registration: | |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | None |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Piano di Peccia (TI) -
 Switzerland
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | External load operation |
| Departure airport: | |
| Investigating agency: | STSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information verified through data from accident investigation authorities |
During clearing operations in a mountain streambed following storms, a ground-based flight assistant was struck and injured by another fir tree that toppled over under the influence of rotor downwash while a wooden log was being flown away. The flight assistant, who was wearing a helmet, sustained a severe concussion.
The maximum speed of the rotor downwash below the helicopter occurs in an area approximately two rotor diameters below the main rotor plane; in the case of an H125, this is around 22 meters. With the load sling length used in this case, this area was at the treetop height of most of the surrounding trees.
At the same time, other workers not involved in the timber transport were working at a construction site near the load pickup area.
Sources:
STSB
https://www.sust.admin.ch/inhalte/AV-Praeventions-Bulletins/Praeventions-Bulletin_2024_4_20250328.pdf
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 07-Apr-2025 12:47 | ASN | Added |
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