History of Flight
On 20 April 2016 at approximately 06:10 UTC, a helicopter departed Eros Airport for the Molteblick mountain range, about 7 nautical miles southeast of the airport. The pilot, accompanied by five employees, intended to recover wreckage from a previous crash. The takeoff and flight were uneventful. During approach for landing on the mountain, the helicopter encountered gusting winds while transitioning to a hover about 10 meters above ground level. The tail rotor section abruptly turned 180 degrees to the left, causing the helicopter to spin out of control. The pilot could not regain control, and the helicopter impacted the ground, rolling several meters before coming to rest on a cliff.
Injuries to Persons
One passenger suffered fatal injuries. Two passengers sustained serious injuries, and two others sustained minor injuries. The pilot was uninjured.
Damage to Aircraft
The helicopter was substantially damaged.
Personnel Information
The pilot, a 40-year-old male with a valid commercial license, had a total flight experience of 253.2 hours, with 154.4 hours on type. His medical certificate was valid until 31 July 2016. The aircraft was co-owned by the pilot.
Aircraft Information
The helicopter was a Hughes 369D (MD 500), serial number 110871D, manufactured in 1981. At the time of the accident, the total airframe hours were 2992.0. The last annual inspection was performed on 9 June 2015 at 2933.3 hours. The engine was an Allison Gas Turbine, serial number CAE-833485, with 2838 hours since new.
Meteorological Information
No official weather report was obtained. At the accident scene, wind was from the northeast at approximately 15 knots, visibility less than 10 km, temperature +27°C, and no cloud cover.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The helicopter crashed 163 meters from the site of the previous accident involving aircraft V5-HFW.
Survival Aspects
The pilot and the right front seat passenger were properly restrained. The four passengers in the aft compartment were not restrained; the pilot had removed the seats and restraining harnesses before the flight.
Organizational and Management Information
The flight was private. The pilot declared only three passengers on board but loaded five.
Additional Information
The pilot also held a private pilot license. The helicopter doors and seats were removed prior to the flight.