Eurocopter EC130 Collision with Power Line During Takeoff at Antraigues-sur-Volane (F-HAJJ)

Incident Overview and Flight Details On 14 October 2013 at 15:30 local time, a Eurocopter EC130 helicopter, registration F-HAJJ, operated by Jet System, was involved in an accident during a general aviation flight. The aircraft was flying between Boffres (07) and the heliport at the stadium in Antraigues-sur-Volane (07). The pilot, seated in the left position, was accompanied by three passengers. ## Sequence of Events The pilot initially conducted a reconnaissance of the landing area by turning to the right. During the final approach facing south, the helicopter landed and hovered 35 meters from the southern end of the stadium. Approximately two and a half hours later, the pilot and the same passengers prepared for the return flight. During the vertical takeoff facing south, the pilot began to pitch the trajectory forward. At that moment, the pilot spotted a medium-voltage power line ahead and attempted to avoid it by applying a pitch-down input on the cyclic control. A main rotor blade struck the cables. The pilot then made a turn and landed the helicopter on the stadium field. ## Contributing Factors and Investigation Findings Before the flight, an employee of the operating company provided the pilot with a flight preparation document containing a sheet for the Antraigues heliport. This document included an aerial photograph of the site mentioning the presence of a medium-voltage line located south of the stadium. The pilot stated that he had reviewed this sheet. During the arrival and reconnaissance, the pilot identified a power line located to the north and believed it was the one mentioned in the preparation document. The pilot also noted that he was not hindered by the sun. The pilot held a Commercial Pilot License (Helicopter) and had a total of 4,300 flight hours, including 1,060 hours on type. In the three months prior to the accident, he had 66 flight hours, 60 of which were on type, and 2 hours in the preceding 24 hours, all on type. This was his first visit to the site. ## Meteorological Conditions At the accident site, the estimated meteorological conditions were: wind from the south at 10 knots, scattered clouds at 1,500 feet and 2,500 feet, visibility greater than 10 km, temperature 16 °C, and QNH 1018 hPa. ## Safety Lessons and Conclusion The accident was attributed to an incomplete observation of the sector chosen for takeoff and a confusion between the power line mentioned in the flight preparation document and the power line observed by the pilot during the site reconnaissance. The absence of an indication of the second power line in the preparation document contributed to the accident. The investigation noted that providing a flight preparation document for a heliport can reduce pilot vigilance regarding the presence of other obstacles not mentioned in the document. Since the event, the flight preparation document for the accident site has been modified to include the second power line.