Bell 47 G2 Collision with Power Line During Agricultural Spraying (F-GANX)

Incident Overview and Context On June 7, 2016, at approximately 15:00 local time, a Bell 47 G2 helicopter, registration F-GANX, operated by a French aerial work company, was conducting agricultural whitewashing operations over a 3.5-hectare greenhouse complex in Grateloup-Saint-Gayrand, France. The pilot, a highly experienced professional with approximately 9,500 total flight hours, was performing the final pass of the day to apply a white liquid coating to the greenhouse roofs to provide shading and temperature regulation for the crops. The operation required low-altitude flight in accordance with a specific low-level flight derogation granted by the Charente-Maritime prefecture, which required the pilot to identify artificial obstacles and adapt flight altitude to the task.