What happened
On 13 March 2018, a CHR Safari helicopter, registration F-PJSL, departed from the Mas-Sought helipad in the Pyrénées-Orientales for a VFR cross-country flight toward the Torreilles microlight platform. The pilot was accompanied by one passenger.
Witnesses observed the aircraft performing a normal takeoff. Shortly after, approximately 1.5 NM east of the departure point, an observer noted the helicopter flying at a steady altitude of roughly 100 meters on a heading of approximately 110°. Suddenly, the aircraft entered a steep nose-down dive. While a change in aerodynamic noise was noted, there was no apparent change in engine speed. The helicopter struck the ground and subsequently caught fire. The impact resulted in two fatalities and the total destruction of the aircraft.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the wreckage, which was located on a dirt track within a vineyard. The airframe was found overturned and heavily burned. Although two rotor blade spars were found displaced 35 and 45 meters from the main wreckage, the substantial deformation of these components indicated a high-energy impact.
Technical examinations of the engine and the power transmission components for both the main and tail rotors revealed no malfunctions. The flight controls at the pilot's station were found to be continuous. While two rods were missing from the co-pilot side controls, investigators determined this did not impede the pilot's ability to maneuver the aircraft. The horizontal stabilizer was found in a nose-up position, though investigators concluded this was likely caused by the impact itself rather than a pre-impact configuration.
Findings
Investigators established that the helicopter was within its permitted weight and balance limits for the flight. The aircraft was flying in a straight line at a constant altitude until it experienced a sudden loss of pitch control. No mechanical faults in the rotating assemblies or flight controls were identified to explain the sudden change in attitude.
While no definitive cause could be established, the investigation did not rule out several contributing factors, including potential pilot incapacitation, an unintentional control input at low altitude, or a technical failure that was not detectable during the post-crash examination.