ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 177766
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| Date: | Tuesday 14 July 2015 |
| Time: | 08:22 LT |
| Type: |  Eurocopter AS 350B3 Ecureuil |
| Owner/operator: | Air-Glaciers |
| Registration: | HB-ZIS |
| MSN: | 4493 |
| Year of manufacture: | 2008 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Guggigletscher, Lauterbrunnen -
 Switzerland
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | External load operation |
| Departure airport: | |
| LSXL | |
| Investigating agency: | STSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
On the morning of 14 July 2015, the four-man crew of HB-ZIS met on the base in Lauterbrunnen and were then transported by car to Zweilütschinen to the helicopter's location.
It was planned to carry out a day's programme with 17 flight missions. Shortly after 06:50, the AS 350B3 helicopter, registered as HB-ZIS, took off for its first mission with approximately 300l of fuel on board. When in the course of the day's programme HB-ZIS arrived in the Jungfraujoch region, the three marshallers disembarked and the pilot carried out the first transport turns from the research station to the tunnel entrance at the Jungfraujoch station.
The next flight mission involved the removal of a roof weighing 600 kg from the Sphinx observatory to the railway station of Eigergletscher. This roof had pre-defined lifting points, so that it could be lifted off by a helicopter and thereafter replaced on the building. The pre-defined lifting points also seemed to be suitable to the persons involved for the removal of the roof.
Consequently no-assessed critically the quality and appropriateness in detail and the roof was attached in the same way as in earlier cases. Since HB-ZIS had to be refuelled at the base in Lauterbrunnen, the transport of the roof was combined with this flight.
When the transport flight was undertaken just before 08:20, the fuel gauge on HB-ZIS indicated 74 l, according to a marshaller. After the load was lifted off the ground, the pilot accelerated rapidly to a ground speed (GS) of approximately 50 kt. As a result, the load became increasingly unstable. The 30 m longline then was thrown over, leaving many traces on HB-ZIS. As a result of the damage which occurred, the helicopter became uncontrollable and crashed on the Guggigletscher. The pilot was fatally injured in the crash and the helicopter was destroyed. There was minor damage to the terrain.
Causes
The accident is attributable to a loss of control of the helicopter after an unstable external load allowing the longline being thrown over the airframe. This caused damage to the area of the tail rotor and main rotor
The following causal factor was identified:
- An excessive airspeed with an unstable load.
The following contributory factors were identified:
- An inadequate fuel reserve.
- Failure to evaluate the load attachment by the air transport operator.
- An inappropriate load lifting system for this transport mission.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
http://www.20min.ch/schweiz/bern/story/-Abgestuerzter-Helikopter-stand-in-Vollbrand--23887575
http://news.trust.org//item/20150714105537-67ieu
https://www.lematin.ch/faits-divers/Un-pilote-d-AirGlaciers-perd-la-vie-dans-un-crash/story/17741831
http://www.rts.ch/2015/07/14/17/13/6942375.image (wreckage photo)
http://www.sust.admin.ch/pdfs/AV-berichte//HB-ZIS.pdf
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 14-Jul-2015 11:14 | gerard57 | Added |
| 14-Jul-2015 11:45 | Aerossurance | Updated [Time, Nature, Source] |
| 14-Jul-2015 12:14 | mhab | Updated [Date] |
| 14-Jul-2015 15:41 | Alpine Flight | Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Registration, Cn, Phase, Nature, Narrative] |
| 14-Jul-2015 16:47 | CTYONE | Updated [Source] |
| 14-Jul-2015 17:49 | Aerossurance | Updated [Source] |
| 14-Jul-2015 18:39 | rotorspot | Updated [Registration, Cn] |
| 15-Jul-2015 11:16 | Tommy Maurer | Updated [Registration, Cn, Destination airport] |
| 15-Jul-2015 11:29 | rotorspot | Updated [Source] |
| 22-Sep-2016 12:42 | Aerossurance | Updated [Aircraft type] |
| 11-Dec-2017 07:44 | harro | Updated [Time, Narrative] |
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