ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 283528
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| Date: | Saturday 17 September 2022 |
| Time: | 10:45 UTC |
| Type: |  Eurocopter AS350B3e Ecureuil |
| Owner/operator: | KMN Koopmann Helicopter GmbH opf SkyTEM Surveys |
| Registration: | D-HKMB |
| MSN: | 7682 |
| Year of manufacture: | 2013 |
| Engine model: | Arriel 2D turbine |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | None |
| Category: | Serious incident |
| Location: | Auchmacoy near Balmedie, Aberdeenshire -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Survey |
| Departure airport: | Auchmacoy near Balmedie, Aberdeenshire |
| Investigating agency: | AAIB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The geophysical electromagnetic array of an aerial survey Eurocopter AS350B3e Ecureuil struck a low voltage electricity power line at Auchmacoy, near Balmedie, Aberdeenshire, causing a power cut to 1,682 houses in the area. All affected homes had their power restored around 15:00 the same day.
The helicopter was conducting a survey operation which required flight on closely-spaced parallel tracks at low height. During the turn between two tracks, it descended, and the underslung sensor array struck an electricity supply pylon. The impact severed the electricity supply cables causing a loss of power to approximately 1,682 properties. The pilot was unaware of the event and continued his planned sortie.
=AAIB Conclusion=
The pilot was not aware of a height loss during a low-speed manoeuvre between planned lines of an aerial survey. As a result of the height loss, the aircraft’s underslung load was below its intended height and struck an electricity pylon that had not been identified as a relevant obstacle on the route".
=Safety action=
• Following the CAA’s withdrawal of the permission to operate below the Standardised European Rules of Air (SERA) 5005 limitations, the operator cancelled the remainder of the survey. The CAA issued the operator with an enhanced requirement for mitigations that would be required for any similar operation in future, as follows:
1. The Risk Assessment (RA) to be revaluated and have more detail.
2. The 60-metre lateral distance from the Load to be included in the standard operating procedures (SOPs)/RAs, matching the more specific 60 metre ‘bubble’ of the new permission.
3. A 45 metre agl minimum height limitation for the load.
4. The use of an observer in the left seat. This crew member would be responsible for lookout, obstruction identification and having mapping with an obstruction overlay.
5. Mapping, ideally digital, with obstruction overlay to be used for both planning and whilst in flight.
6. The pre-flight planning processes should be demonstrated to the CAA before operations commence.
7. The quality and acceptability of the obstruction data and mapping should be demonstrated to the CAA before operations commence.
Accident investigation:
Sources:
1. AAIB Final Report: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/63c80740d3bf7f072d8773b6/AS-350_D-HKMB_02-23.pdf
2. AAIB Annual Safety Review 2023 p.98: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6604534991a320001182b13d/AAIB_Annual_Safety_Review_2023.pdf
3. https://www.thenational.scot/news/22120192.helicopter-hits-electricity-pylon-search-minerals-aberdeenshire/
4. https://www.aberdeenlive.news/news/aberdeen-news/probe-launched-mineral-hunting-helicopter-7599661
5. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-62940240.amp
6. https://news.stv.tv/north/helicopter-knocks-power-out-of-1000-aberdeenshire-homes-after-hitting-electricity-pylon
7. https://aberdeenminerals.com/projects/airborne-geophysics/
8. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/DHKMB/history/20220917/0911Z
9. https://www.helis.com/database/cn/49695/
10. https://www.hef.ru.nl/~pfk/aircraft/pics/2009/20090916-S613-helicopter-KMNKoopmannHelicopter-D-HKMB-EurocopterAS350B3-Hoorn.jpg (photo with the array)
11. BFU Germany October 2022 file BFU22-0986-8X: https://www.bfu-web.de/DE/Publikationen/Bulletins/2022/Bulletin2022-09.pdf?__blob=publicationFile&v=2 (p 14)
12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auchmacoy_railway_station
Location
Media:
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 18-Sep-2022 22:16 | Geno | Added |
| 19-Sep-2022 00:17 | RobertMB | Updated [Operator, Location, Source, Damage, Narrative] |
| 19-Sep-2022 00:20 | RobertMB | Updated [Nature] |
| 19-Sep-2022 05:01 | Aerossurance | Updated [Aircraft type, Registration, Cn, Operator, Location, Source, Narrative] |
| 19-Sep-2022 11:33 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Total occupants, Departure airport, Source, Embed code, Narrative, Category] |
| 19-Sep-2022 11:36 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Embed code, Narrative] |
| 19-Sep-2022 12:42 | Aerossurance | Updated [Departure airport, Source, Narrative, Category] |
| 19-Sep-2022 13:16 | RobertMB | Updated [Time, Operator, Source, Narrative] |
| 30-Mar-2024 07:02 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Source, Narrative, Category] |
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