Bell 206-BII wirestrike accident in Lorca, Spain (EC-DXZ)

Accident overview and location On Monday, 25 October 2010, at 10:00 local time, a Bell Helicopter Textron 206-BII with registration EC-DXZ struck an electrical power line near Pozo de la Higuera, in the municipality of Lorca, Murcia, Spain. The aircraft was operated by Heliswiss Ibérica, S. A., and was powered by a single Rolls-Royce 250C20B engine. ## Flight details and operations The helicopter departed from Purias, in the Lorca municipal area, at 09:30 local time and flew to a farm north of Pozo de la Higuera, where lettuce was being cultivated. The operation was a commercial aerial agricultural task involving spraying. The flight phase at the time of the accident was low-altitude maneuvering. ## Pilot and aircraft condition The pilot in command was a 42-year-old commercial helicopter pilot holding a CPL(H) license. He had 4,013 total flight hours and 2,500 hours on type. The pilot had extensive experience in spraying operations and was familiar with the farm from previous campaigns, although this was the first time he worked there in 2012. Before the accident, the pilot conducted an aerial reconnaissance in accordance with the operations manual. He identified two power lines sharing a common pole and assessed the wind as calm. His initial plan was to fly east-west along the field furrows at approximately two meters above the ground, at an indicated speed of about 30 knots, passing under the power lines. After about 15 minutes of work, the pilot changed his working strategy due to interference from a pole and a tractor parked on one of the farm roads. While turning right and climbing to begin new passes, he encountered power lines ahead and attempted to pass beneath them. The main rotor mast struck a cable, causing the helicopter to crash and roll onto its right side. The pilot shut down the engine, cut the electrical power, and exited through the left side without injury. The aircraft sustained major damage to the main rotor mast, main rotor assembly, tail rotor assembly, landing gear, and spraying equipment. The main rotor mast was severed, and the main rotor assembly was separated from the airframe. The power line also sustained damage. The helicopter was equipped with a Simplex Model 4900 Spray System for liquid spraying and was maintained according to its approved maintenance program. It did not have a wire-strike protection system installed.