Incident Details
On 20 February 2008 at 11:15 UTC, a Kamov KA-32A11BC helicopter, registration CS-HMN, operated by EMA – Empresa de Meios Aéreos, S.A., was conducting training for Winch Operators (OPG) and Rescuers (R/S) approximately 2 nautical miles south of Vilamoura. The helicopter was in hover phase with six persons on board.
Sequence of Events
The training exercise involved hoisting a rescuer and a pseudo-victim. During the operation, a malfunction in the recovery hoist caused the cable to stop ascending and begin descending while the rescuer and pseudo-victim were suspended. They fell into the water. The support vessel recovered them. The OPG instructor attempted to regain control of the hoist; after testing, the hoist eventually stopped with about ten meters of cable unrecovered. The cable was manually retrieved and stowed. The training mission was cancelled, and the helicopter returned to its base at Loulé heliport, landing at 11:35 UTC.
Injuries and Damages
No injuries were reported among the six persons on board. The aircraft sustained no damage. No third-party damage occurred.
Conclusion
The incident was classified as a serious incident by the GPIAA (Gabinete de Prevenção e Investigação de Acidentes com Aeronaves). No probable cause was determined in the fact-sheet.