What happened
On April 24, 2014, at 11:55 UTC, an AS350 helicopter, registration CS-HED, operated by HELIBRAVO, was conducting a type rating training flight at Santa Cruz Airfield (LPSC). The flight was intended to be a training session involving takeoffs and landings, specifically including simulated emergency procedures, supervised by an instructor and a student pilot.
During the training, the crew decided to perform a simulated landing following a hydraulic failure, adhering to the emergency procedures outlined in the aircraft's flight manual. The student pilot initiated the simulation at approximately 600 feet AGL, maintaining a speed of about 50 knots and a descent rate of 300 feet per minute. As the aircraft approached the final stage of the landing, the speed was reduced to approximately 5 knots.
Upon touchdown, the aircraft experienced a minor impact followed by a 5-meter roll. While the landing was considered otherwise normal, the impact resulted in the separation of the front portions of both the left and right skids.
The investigation
The GPIAA investigation established that the crew followed the operational manual's recommended procedure for landing with a translation movement during a hydraulic failure. This specific technique is designed to prevent the pilot from losing control near the ground when flight controls become difficult to operate due to loss of hydraulic pressure. The investigation confirmed that the weather conditions—partially cloudy skies, visibility exceeding 10 km, and light northern winds—were not contributing factors to the incident.