What happened
On 30 May 2022, an Airbus AS350 B3e, registration F-HMFA, was performing a non-commercial cross-country flight in the Aspe valley near Borce, France. The flight, operated by Héli Béarn, was returning to a landing site following a mission to a construction site. The crew consisted of the pilot, a second pilot, and a flight assistant.
During the final approach, the helicopter was flying at a low horizontal speed with a light tailwind. Approximately 30 meters above the ground, the pilot maneuvered the aircraft to slow down by pulling the nose up and then easing the cyclic forward. During this maneuver, the aircraft entered a vulnerable vortex ring state (VRS). The pilot, observing a group of approximately 10 people directly in front of the aircraft, chose not to apply the necessary cyclic input to escape the state due to the proximity of the bystanders. Consequently, the helicopter experienced a rapid increase in descent rate, which escalated from 1,000 fpm to 1,600 fpm in just 11 seconds. To avoid a nearby mountain slope, the pilot executed a 90-degree left turn just before impact. The resulting hard landing caused substantial damage to the tail boom and the rear body structure, though the occupants escaped without injury.
The investigation
The BEA examined data from the aircraft's Engine Data Recorder (EDR) and the Appareo Vision 1000 recorder. The investigation included a visual inspection of the wreckage and an analysis of meteorological conditions, which noted a light breeze blowing up the valley. Technical examinations of the engine and flight control linkages confirmed that all components were operational and no mechanical failure contributed to the accident. The investigation also reviewed video footage captured by witnesses on the ground and analyzed the theoretical VRS envelope using Froude’s theory based on the aircraft's weight and environmental conditions at the time of the accident.