What happened
On 25 August 2019, a mid-air collision occurred in the vicinity of Inca, Mallorca, involving a Bell 206 L3 helicopter, registration D-HOTT, and an Aeroprakt A22L ultralight, registration EC-GU1.
The helicopter, operated by Roterflug, was performing a commercial passenger transfer. The flight had departed from a private estate near Manacor, having previously picked up passengers at Son Bonet Aerodrome, with the intention of flying a scenic route toward Camp de Mar. The helicopter was carrying a pilot and four passengers.
Simultaneously, the Aeroprakt A22L was conducting a private local flight originating from Binissalem Aerodrome, carrying a pilot and one passenger.
At approximately 11:35 UTC, while both aircraft were in the cruise phase of their respective flights, they occupied converging trajectories. The ultralight was positioned to the left of the helicopter's path. The collision caused both aircraft to suffer catastrophic structural failure and subsequent impact with the ground. All seven people on board the two aircraft were killed.
The investigation
Investigators analyzed the wreckage and flight paths to reconstruct the sequence of events. The investigation established that the aircraft were flying under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) in uncontrolled "G" classified airspace.
Analysis of the debris showed that the helicopter's main rotor blades struck the ultralight's left wing, severing the wingtip and flaperon. This loss of lift caused the ultralight to veer sharply, leading to further contact where the helicopter's vertical stabilizer and tail rotor were also damaged. The ultralight entered a left-hand spin and impacted the ground in an inverted position, while the helicopter began an uncontrolled clockwise spin before crashing.
Findings
- The pilots held all necessary licenses, ratings, and medical certificates.
- Both aircraft were within operational weight limits and had valid airworthiness certifications.
- Meteorological conditions were suitable for flight, and both aircraft were operating under VFR.
- The pilots did not detect the other aircraft until the moments immediately preceding the impact, at which point evasive maneuvers were attempted.
- The most likely cause of the accident was insufficient airspace surveillance.