What happened
Following a 12-hour aerial filming mission, a Eurocopter AS355F2 returned to the Heliport Sint-PietersLeeuw. After initially placing the aircraft on parking stand 3, the pilot decided to relocate the helicopter to another stand. While attempting to reposition the aircraft, the pilot initiated a counter-clockwise rotation to align the helicopter with the wind. During this maneuver, the aircraft was not properly centered over the stand markings.
As the turn progressed, the tail boom struck a nearby container, and the tail rotor blades made contact with the container's roof. The impact caused the tail rotor to fail, resulting in a sudden, violent shift in the aircraft's movement. The pilot responded by lowering the collective and performing an immediate landing on the grass behind the stand. The incident resulted in no injuries, but the aircraft suffered substantial damage, including severed tail rotor blades, a deformed tail boom and vertical fin, and damage to the right skid and filming equipment.
The investigation
The AAIU(Be) examined the pilot's operational status, the aircraft's mechanical condition, and the heliport's infrastructure. The investigation looked into the pilot's flight hours for the day and the company's safety management practices. Investigators also reviewed the heliport's handbook and the visibility of ground markings at the time of the accident.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was the inadequate positioning of the helicopter when the pilot began a 180-degree turn.
- The pilot had completed nearly six hours of flight time that day; while the pilot did not report feeling stressed, the investigation noted that potential fatigue or distraction by administrative duties could have contributed to the error.
- The white paint used for the helicopter stand ground markings was faded, reducing the pilot's ability to use them as a precise reference point.
- There was a lack of specific procedures within the heliport handbook regarding taxi operations between different helicopter stands.
Safety action
To prevent similar occurrences, it is recommended that the operator review the Heliport handbook to include clear instructions for taxiing between the FATO/TLOF and parking stands, as well as between individual stands. Additionally, the helicopter stand markings should be updated to ensure they are clearly visible and compliant with regulatory standards, providing pilots with adequate clearance from obstacles.