What happened
On May 1, 1999, a Eurocopter BO 105 helicopter, operating as the rescue aircraft Christoph 16, was engaged in a primary emergency mission flying from Sulzbach to Kröppen. The crew was responding to a riding accident near a riding hall.
As the pilot approached a meadow selected for landing, the aircraft struck high-voltage power lines running perpendicular to the flight path. Upon impact, the pilot experienced vibrations and a loss of control effectiveness. Despite the damage, the pilot managed to perform an emergency landing on the meadow. There were no injuries to the crew, but the aircraft sustained heavy damage. The collision caused a power outage in the local area due to damage to high-voltage lines, and damage was also reported to nearby buildings and two parked cars.
The investigation
The BFU investigation established that the weather conditions were clear and that the landing site was sufficiently large for the maneuver. The pilot was already familiar with the local terrain and conditions.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was an inadequate aerial reconnaissance of the landing site.
- The pilot bypassed the standard procedure of performing a low-level flyover to check for obstacles, relying instead on prior knowledge of the area.
- During the final approach, the crew's attention was divided: while the paramedic monitored the area behind the aircraft through the open side door, the pilot focused his attention forward on the landing zone.
- The pilot failed to identify the power lines in time to execute an evasive maneuver.