Bell UH-1H Helicopter Accident at El Tabladillo Reservoir (EC-GOD)

Incident Overview and Location On July 28, 2004, at 17:25 local time, a Bell UH-1H helicopter, registration EC-GOD, operated by Helisur, crashed into the El Tabladillo reservoir in the municipality of El Berrocal, Huelva, Spain. The aircraft was engaged in commercial firefighting operations when the accident occurred. ## Flight Operations and Sequence of Events The helicopter was equipped with a 2,700 lb ventral water tank and was in the process of refueling from the reservoir. At the time of the incident, another helicopter was also refueling, while a third aircraft was hovering nearby, waiting for its turn. The pilot reported that the aircraft began to rotate uncontrollably to the right after a dull sound was heard. The pilot attempted to stop the descent by pulling the collective, but the aircraft entered the water. ## Damage and Survival The helicopter came to rest on the bottom of the reservoir, with the tail cone submerged. The main rotor mast broke and fell toward the front right, and a stabilizer bar penetrated the cockpit area. The pilot, a 64-year-old commercial helicopter pilot, abandoned the aircraft through a hole in the cockpit and was assisted to shore by the co-pilot of the hovering helicopter. The pilot sustained minor head and wrist injuries and was hospitalized for 24 hours. ## Investigation Findings The investigation revealed that the tail rotor transmission shaft was severed due to torsional stress. The pilot was not wearing a helmet or life jacket at the time of the operation. Although regulations such as ICAO Annex 6 and JAR-OPS 3 required life jackets for performance class 3 helicopters operating over water, these provisions did not apply to aerial work operations in Spain at the time.