What happened
On May 27, 2022, a Bell 206-L3 helicopter, registration HK5268, was conducting a non-scheduled tourist flight from the Hotel Wayira helipad in Manaure, Guajira. The flight was intended to be a brief six-minute sightseeing tour of the local area.
During the flight, passengers requested that the pilot perform maneuvers to provide a sensation of adrenaline or vertigo. The pilot complied by accelerating in level flight followed by a steep climb. After losing airspeed, the pilot executed a right turn to recover speed. While repeating this sequence of maneuvers at a low altitude of approximately 2-hundred feet, the aircraft experienced a sudden loss of control. The helicopter entered a high vertical acceleration descent, leading to a condition of settling with power. The pilot was unable to recover the aircraft before it collided with the terrain, resulting in a dynamic rollover on its right side. All seven occupants (one pilot and six passengers) sustained minor injuries.
The investigation
The GRIAA investigation examined the aircraft's technical condition, the pilot's operational history, and the operator's organizational oversight. Investigators reviewed flight footage recorded by a passenger, which captured the sequence of the accident. Technical inspections of the engine, transmission, and rotor components were conducted. The investigation also reviewed the operator's General Operations Manual (MGO) and safety management processes.
Findings
- The primary cause was the execution of an extreme low-level flight maneuver that was not authorized by the operator's operational policies. This maneuver, combined with the aircraft's weight, proximity to the ground, and prevailing winds, induced a settling with power condition.
- The pilot demonstrated overconfidence and a lack of attention to established safety standards while performing unauthorized maneuvers.
- There was a lack of organizational oversight regarding the flight crews performing tourist operations in remote areas.
- The pilot felt self-imposed pressure to satisfy passenger requests to ensure the commercial success of the flight.
- The operator lacked effective risk management processes to detect operational deviations by crews during tourist flights.