Robinson R44 F-GTEJ Collision with Power Lines and Ground in Brison Saint Innocent

Accident Overview and Immediate Circumstances On Saturday, August 25, 2012, at approximately 11:30 local time, a privately operated Robinson R44 helicopter, registration F-GTEJ, was involved in an accident at Brison Saint Innocent in the Savoie department (73), France. The aircraft sustained heavy damage. The pilot, who was the sole person on board, had been flying for 45 minutes from the Chindrieux (73) platform when he decided to land on a private field bordered by a road, a power line, hills, and a residential area. ## Approach and Impact The pilot reported conducting a site reconnaissance by performing a 360-degree turn centered on the landing area before beginning a final approach facing south. During the short final, he felt a shock at the rear of the helicopter and observed a large flame. He reflexively pulled the collective pitch control and attempted to land, but lost control of the aircraft, which then collided with the ground. The helicopter had severed the cables of a power line. The pilot stated that he had not detected the power line during the reconnaissance and that the sun had been a nuisance during the approach phase. ## Environmental and Operational Factors Estimated weather conditions at the site were wind from 010° at 9 knots, with few clouds at 5,300 feet. The sun's azimuth was 132°, while the site's azimuth was 45°. The pilot had a total of 361 flight hours, including 280 hours on type, 21 hours in the preceding three months, and approximately one hour in the last 24 hours, all on type. Following a previous R44 accident in which the helicopter caught fire upon ground impact, the owner of F-GTEJ had installed self-sealing flexible fuel tanks. During the impact, one tank was punctured, but no fuel spilled. ## Investigation Conclusion The accident was attributed to the non-detection of the power line cables during the landing area reconnaissance and the final approach. The approach into the sun probably contributed to the accident. In France, flight schools recommend a structured reconnaissance process for landing areas, including a general reconnaissance, a detailed reconnaissance, a power pass (power calculation), wind determination, synthesis of observations and decision statement, and the execution of the approach and takeoff.