What happened
On August 22, 2000, an AS 350B helicopter, registration F-GEOE, was conducting aerial filming for a commercial production in the Lot valley. Following an initial filming session near Estaing, the pilot, at the request of the director, decided to fly over the Lot River to capture new footage. This new segment of the flight had not been included in the original pre-flight briefing.
The pilot flew at a very low altitude, between five and ten meters above the water, moving at a slow speed. To provide the cameraman with a better angle, the pilot executed a lateral left translation and a side-slip maneuver. During this maneuver, the cameraman spotted a forest cable spanning the valley. Although the pilot attempted to interrupt the flight path, the helicopter struck the steel cable. The impact caused the aircraft to hit the water surface and sink to a depth of approximately fifteen meters.
While the pilot and the director managed to exit the wreckage, the cameraman, who was seated in the rear and secured by a climbing harness, died from drowning.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the aircraft's condition, the flight environment, and the regulatory framework of the operation. Examination of the wreckage revealed that the three main rotor blades had struck the cable on their underside. The cable had subsequently slid along the control linkages and become lodged between the cyclic control plates.
Investigators found that the aircraft was not equipped with a flotation device, nor were there life jackets on board, despite the requirements for over-water flight. The interior had been modified for filming: the left front door had been removed, and the camera was suspended by cables from the door track. The cameraman was secured to the floor using a climbing harness with carabiners that were difficult to release in an emergency.
Furthermore, the investigation established that the flight was being conducted outside of a structured operational framework. The pilot was operating without the necessary regulatory authorizations for this specific type of aerial photography, and the mission was improvised without a prior reconnaissance of the area.
Findings
- The accident was caused by the late detection of a cable stretched across the river.
- The pilot performed the flight without adhering to regulatory requirements for aerial photography.
- The flight was improvised, with the pilot entering the river valley without a prior reconnaissance of the area or a formal briefing update.
- The pilot's flight attitude (side-slipping) restricted visibility in the direction of travel.
- The use of a non-approved climbing harness and the lack of a rapid-release mechanism for the cameraman acted as aggravating factors.
- The lack of flotation equipment and life jackets significantly hindered the survival of the occupants during the immersion.