What happened
On July 17, 2006, at approximately 21:30 local time, a Bell 212 HSE helicopter, registration EC-HOY, was performing aerial firefighting operations near the Barrios de Luna reservoir in León, Spain. The aircraft was transporting a nine-member firefighting crew to an active forest fire.
During the landing phase, the pilot approached a slope with an approximately 18% gradient. As the helicopter made contact with the ground, the right skid pivoted upon hitting a stone embedded in the terrain. This caused the aircraft to tilt to the right and the nose to yaw left. Despite the pilot's attempts to stabilize the aircraft, it underwent a dynamic rollover to the right, causing the main rotor blades to strike the ground. The impact was followed by a fire that consumed the cockpit and the main transmission gearbox. All 10 fatalities occurred among the occupants, including the pilot and the nine crew members.
The investigation
The CIAIAC investigation examined the terrain, the pilot's flight logs, and the operational procedures of the operator. Investigators analyzed the flight history of the pilot, noting that the accident occurred on the 17th consecutive day of work within a period of high availability. The investigation also reviewed the lack of established coordination procedures between the pilot and the firefighting crew members regarding landing support. Furthermore, the physical characteristics of the landing site, specifically the steepness of the slope and the presence of obstacles like the embedded stone, were evaluated.