2018 Robinson R44 accident at Les Boisses heliport (F-GZBD)

Accident overview and flight details On 24 January 2018, a Robinson R44 helicopter registered F-GZBD was involved in an accident at the Les Boisses heliport in the French department of Savoie (73). The flight was a general aviation operation conducted by a club. The helicopter was carrying a pilot and two passengers. The accident resulted in the helicopter being heavily damaged. ## Flight sequence According to the pilot, the helicopter departed from a private airfield at Le Fayet in Haute-Savoie (74) for a flight in the Tarentaise area. At an altitude of approximately 7,500 feet near the Tignes dam, the pilot felt that the engine was not producing sufficient power and that the helicopter was vibrating more than usual. The pilot described the sensation as flying an overloaded helicopter that was flying too high. Because of the hostile terrain being overflown, the pilot decided to end the flight and land at the nearby Les Boisses heliport. The final approach was made facing north, offset to the right side of the heliport. The pilot stated that the approach was made on a shallow glide path with horizontal speed. The helicopter could not be brought into a hover and continued to descend, making a hard contact with the ground. The helicopter slid and came to rest against a snow wall. The pilot shut down the engine following the normal procedure. The tail boom was damaged by the main rotor blades. ## Additional information The pilot estimated the weather conditions at the heliport to be calm wind, CAVOK, and a temperature of approximately 5 °C. The pilot held a private pilot licence for helicopters (PPL(H)) obtained in May 2011, with ratings for the R22, R44, and R66. The pilot had a total of 421 flight hours, including 330 hours as pilot-in-command, and two hours in the preceding month, all in this helicopter. An examination of the helicopter by the maintenance workshop did not reveal any engine malfunction or failure that could explain the reported lack of power and vibrations. The BEA noted that the information was primarily based on the pilot's testimony and had not been independently validated. The BEA's investigations are solely aimed at improving aviation safety and do not seek to determine fault or responsibility.