What happened
On the evening of March 15, 2017, a BELL 206 B helicopter, registration F-GPPH, was engaged in a night VFR flight. The pilot had originally planned a daytime trip from a private helisurface near Le Fraysse to Moncontour, but later changed his plans to return to Figeac that same evening. After departing at 18:20, the pilot contacted air traffic services in the Limoges FIR, confirming his position and his night flight qualification.
During the flight, the pilot attempted to contact Brive but was unsuccessful. His last communication with Limoges occurred at 19:28, during which he reported approaching Brive at 3,200 feet. Shortly thereafter, the aircraft entered a left turn toward his home base. Radar tracking showed the aircraft's altitude steadily decreasing from approximately 2,165 feet to 1,865 feet before radar contact was lost. The helicopter subsequently struck a fence, a stone wall, and a telephone line at high speed. The impact with a tree caused the tail boom and vertical stabilizer to separate from the fuselage. The aircraft then cleared a wooded area before crashing into a field. The pilot was killed in the accident, and the BELL 206 B was destroyed.
The investigation
Investigators examined the wreckage and the accident site, which consisted of hilly, wooded terrain. Analysis of the flight controls showed that all breaks were the result of the impact, and the engine was still producing power at the time of the crash. While the aircraft's onboard GNSS receivers were not configured to record flight data, investigators were able to reconstruct a partial flight path using the "Live Flight Tracking" feature from the pilot's navigation tablet.
Regarding the pilot's background, the 52-year-old commander held a PPL(H) with night flight certification and approximately 1,130 total flight hours. However, he had no recent experience in night flying, having not flown at night in the three years preceding the accident. The investigation also noted that the pilot's private helisurface lacked any night lighting.
Findings
- The accident was caused by the pilot's decision to fly at very low altitude at night while visual references were difficult to maintain.
- The pilot may have been overly focused on searching for external visual cues, leading to a loss of monitoring of his instruments, specifically his altitude.
- Accumulated fatigue from a day of business meetings and multiple flight segments likely impaired the pilot's ability to assess the risks of low-level flight.
- The pilot's desire to reach his home that evening likely influenced his decision to fly without a flight plan and at a low altitude.