Occurrence
On July 4, 2021, at approximately 18:10 UTC, an Airbus Helicopters EC 130 T2 helicopter, registration PS-PVB, was involved in an accident at Fazenda Querença, located in Onça de Pitangui, Minas Gerais, Brazil. The aircraft was operated by LLF Locação de Máquinas e Equipamentos Ltda. under a private operation. The helicopter had taken off from an unregistered area on the farm, destined for Helicentro Zona Sul (SIVB) in Belo Horizonte, with only the pilot on board.
During repositioning for passenger boarding, the pilot initiated a 180-degree clockwise turn (as viewed from above). At some point, the fenestron (tail rotor) struck a bush located near the takeoff area. The pilot immediately felt abnormal vibration in the flight controls and set the helicopter down without further incident.
Investigation
The investigation was conducted by the Third Regional Service for Investigation and Prevention of Aeronautical Accidents (SERIPA III) under SIPAER. However, the investigation team was notified three days after the accident, by which time the vegetation at the site had been cut and removed, and parts of the helicopter—including the engine, tail boom driveshaft, and fenestron components—had been taken away without authorization from the SIPAER authority. This altered the accident scene, violating Brazilian law (Lei nº 12.970, Art. 88-N) regarding access to aircraft wreckage.
Despite these limitations, the team collected available information. The pilot held a valid Commercial Pilot License (Helicopter) and a valid Turbine Single-Engine Helicopter rating. The aircraft's Airworthiness Certificate was valid, weight and balance were within limits, and logbooks were current. Meteorological conditions were favorable for the flight.
Findings
The operation in the unregistered area was conducted in accordance with Brazilian regulations (ICA 100-4 and RBAC 91.329), which permit occasional takeoffs and landings from non-certified locations under the operator's and pilot's responsibility, provided that obstacles are cleared. In this case, observers reported that the vegetation struck had a dark green color similar to the surrounding grass, potentially offering little visual contrast to the pilot.
Contributing factors identified by the investigation were piloting judgment and perception. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the fenestron, while the pilot emerged uninjured.