What happened
On December 22, 2000, an Eurocopter AS 350 B3, registration I-JOPS, crashed while performing aerial work near Mezzavia, in the municipality of San Genesio Atesino. The flight, operated by Aeroveneta s.r.l., was returning to its base in Vipiteno after completing a concrete transport mission. During the return leg, the helicopter struck two of the three conductors on the "Ponticino" electrical line.
The impact caused the main rotor and transmission to be torn from the aircraft. The remaining fuselage struck a rock face before falling to the ground near the Talvera stream, where it caught fire. The collision resulted in two fatalities, as both the pilot and the technician on board died due to injuries sustained during the explosion and impact.
The investigation
The ANSV investigation examined the aircraft's maintenance records, the flight crew's credentials, and the physical evidence at the crash site. The investigation confirmed that the aircraft was in a valid state of airworthiness, having undergone a 100-hour inspection shortly before the accident. There was no evidence of pilot incapacitation.
Investigators analyzed the electrical infrastructure, noting that the pylons were painted green to reduce environmental impact, making them difficult to distinguish from the landscape. Furthermore, the power lines were not marked on official aeronautical charts used by local emergency services. Physical evidence on the rotor blades and the deformation of the electrical pylons confirmed the contact between the aircraft and the wires.
Findings
The primary cause of the accident was the collision with the electrical power lines. The investigation identified that the pilot failed to see the wires, which was exacerbated by the fact that the pylons were camouflaged in green.
A significant contributing factor was a sudden change in lighting conditions. The helicopter had departed from a shaded landing pad in a valley; as it moved toward the brighter, sunlit area where the lines were located, the pilot likely experienced a temporary loss of vision or glare. This rapid transition prevented the pilot's pupils from adjusting in time to recognize the obstacle and perform an evasive maneuver.
Safety action
Following the investigation, the ANSV issued a recommendation to the Italian Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport and ENAC. The agency called for the development of comprehensive legislation regarding the marking of aeronautical obstacles across the national territory, noting that current regulations primarily focus on airport environments and do not sufficiently cover the broader landscape.