What happened
On October 2, 2001, a pilot was conducting a pleasure flight in an Eurocopter SE 313 Alouette 2, registration F-GRPH, traveling from Aubenas toward the Cévennes foothills. The flight included four passengers. As the aircraft approached the mountains, deteriorating weather conditions prompted the pilot to seek an unplanned landing in the countryside.
After inspecting a potential landing site, the pilot initially touched down on a dirt path. Fearing the aircraft was positioned in an unbalanced manner, the pilot attempted to relocate the helicopter to a nearby meadow. However, the pilot failed to realize that the grass obscured a soft, waterlogged terrain. Upon landing, the rear of the skids sank into the mud.
In an attempt to lift the aircraft, the pilot applied sudden collective input while simultaneously pushing the cyclic forward to level the helicopter. This caused the rear of the aircraft to lift abruptly. Surprised by this movement, the pilot reacted by pulling the cyclic sharply backward. This sequence caused the main rotor to strike the tail boom and the exhaust nozzle, resulting in a total loss of control and the subsequent destruction of the aircraft.
The investigation
Investigators examined the wreckage and determined that all structural failures were static ruptures resulting from the impact with the ground. The damage to the main rotor was extensive, with only the leading edge of one blade remaining. The impact was severe enough to detach the exhaust nozzle, which was recovered 200 meters from the crash site.
Regarding the environmental conditions, the investigation noted that heavy rainfall had occurred in the region in the days leading up to the accident. Additionally, the pilot was unable to obtain updated weather forecasts for the flight segment due to ongoing meteorological service strikes.