Three fatalities in offshore helicopter accident near Prerow

Casualties unknown • Ostsee, ca. 3 NM nördlich Prerow, DE

A night training flight involving an Airbus BK117 C-1 ended in a fatal water impact in the Baltic Sea, resulting in three deaths.

What happened

On February 28, 2014, an Airbus BK117 C-1 helicopter was conducting a night-time winch training exercise near a rescue cruiser in the Baltic Sea, approximately 3 NM north of Prerow. The flight was conducted under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) at night.

After departing from Rügen airfield, the crew proceeded toward the Baltic 1 offshore wind farm before changing course to rendezvous with the rescue vessel. During the approach, the crew attempted to locate the ship using radar. After an initial aborted approach, the crew attempted a second approach. During this maneuver, the helicopter began a descent before reaching the final approach phase and before the crew had established visual contact with the vessel. The aircraft struck the water surface and sank.

The investigation

The BFU investigation focused on the flight sequence, crew performance, and organizational procedures. Investigators analyzed radar data, the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVML), and Flight Data Recorder (FDR) to reconstruct the descent. The investigation also examined the company's operational manuals, training programs, and the regulatory oversight provided by the relevant aviation authority regarding offshore operations.

Findings

Three fatalities and one minor injury occurred during the accident. The investigation identified several contributing factors:

  • The crew lacked sufficient experience regarding specific procedures for night operations over the sea.
  • The approach deviated from the established procedures.
  • The approach was not stabilized in terms of altitude, airspeed, or descent rate.
  • The descent was initiated without visual contact with the target vessel.
  • There was inadequate monitoring of flight instruments and a loss of situational awareness.
  • The crew failed to react to altitude warnings from the radar altimeter.

Systemic issues were also identified, including inadequate task descriptions for crew coordination during offshore missions, a lack of defined criteria for aborting unstabilized approaches, and insufficient company guidelines regarding the use of autopilot stability functions during sea-based maneuvers.

Probable cause

The accident was caused by a controlled flight into terrain (water) resulting from an unstabilized night approach, characterized by a loss of situational awareness and a failure to maintain visual contact with the target vessel.

Frequently asked questions

What happened in the 2014-02-28 Airbus Helicopters Deutschland GmbH / accident near Ostsee, ca. 3 NM nördlich Prerow, DE?

A night training flight involving an Airbus BK117 C-1 ended in a fatal water impact in the Baltic Sea, resulting in three deaths.

What aircraft was involved and where did it happen?

The accident on 2014-02-28 involved a Airbus Helicopters Deutschland GmbH /, at Ostsee, ca. 3 NM nördlich Prerow, DE.

What was the probable cause of the accident?

The accident was caused by a controlled flight into terrain (water) resulting from an unstabilized night approach, characterized by a loss of situational awareness and a failure to maintain visual contact with the target vessel.

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