Background
On May 3, 2005, an Agusta A109K2 helicopter (registration JA11PC) operated by the Shizuoka Prefectural Police Flying Squad was involved in an accident. The helicopter, named "Fuji No. 1" by the operator, was conducting a road congestion survey flight. It departed from Shizuhama Aerodrome at approximately 14:42 Japan Standard Time with five persons on board: the pilot in command (PIC) and four other individuals.
Flight History
The original flight plan used a different helicopter ("Fuji No. 2", a Eurocopter AS365N3), but after that helicopter developed a malfunction shortly after takeoff, the survey team transferred to the accident aircraft. The PIC filed a flight plan under visual flight rules to survey traffic congestion on routes including the Tomei Expressway. The planned route covered Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, and Gotemba, with an estimated return time of 16:45.
According to radio communications and witness statements, the aircraft flew westward along the Tomei Expressway, then turned eastward toward Shizuoka City and Fuji City, and proceeded north to Gotemba before heading south via Numazu and Fuji City along the coastline to Shimizu-ku. Ground speed along the approximately 195-nautical-mile route was estimated at 110 knots. Last radio transmissions from the aircraft occurred at 16:25 (position report) and 16:26:33 (traffic condition report), both sounding normal.
Accident
Around 16:28 JST, the helicopter crashed into a residential area in Kusanagi, Shimizu-ku, Shizuoka City. The aircraft was destroyed and a post-crash fire broke out. All five occupants sustained fatal injuries. Witnesses in the area reported seeing the helicopter before the crash; no other aircraft were reported in the vicinity.
Investigation
The Aircraft and Railway Accidents Investigation Commission (ARAIC) launched an investigation on the same day, assigning investigators and later cooperating with accredited representatives from Italy (state of design and manufacture) and France (engine design and manufacture). Activities included on-site examinations, teardown analyses of engines and transmission, flight simulation, and interviews. A status report was submitted to the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport in May 2006. The investigation aimed to determine the accident's cause and contribute to prevention, without apportioning blame.