Event Description
On 27 July 2014, at approximately 09:45 UTC, a Eurocopter AS350 B3 helicopter, registered I-LUPU, departed from Fassinoro di Longone Sabino, Rieti, for a flight conducted under visual flight rules (VFR). The flight was categorized as aerial work for forest fire fighting and was described as a "weekly engine start"—a practice involving starting the engine to verify parameters after prolonged inactivity, often accompanied by a short local flight.
While flying over Lago del Salto, the helicopter struck a suspended cable used for wakeboard activities, cutting the cable. After the impact, the pilot flew the helicopter to a clearing located approximately 1 nautical mile away at "Gola del Varco" in the municipality of Varco Sabino to perform a precautionary landing. During the landing maneuver, the helicopter began an uncontrolled rotation and violently impacted the ground.
The impact resulted in the deaths of the pilot and the passenger. The flight engineer on board sustained multiple traumatic injuries.
Aircraft Information
The helicopter was an AS350 B3, serial number 3803, manufactured by Eurocopter (now Airbus Helicopters) in 2004. It was powered by a Turbomeca Arriel 2B engine (serial number 22445) installed on 28 April 2004, with the same total operating hours as the airframe. The maximum takeoff mass was 2,250 kg. The aircraft was equipped with a Vehicle and Engine Multifunction Display (VEMD) and a Digital Engine Control Unit (DECU) of the FADEC B type.
Maintenance documentation was found to be regular. The Airworthiness Review Certificate was valid until 17 June 2015. The helicopter had accumulated approximately 3,410 total flight hours, with about 8 hours flown since the last scheduled inspection (600 hours/24 months), performed on 16 May 2014. The next inspection (50 hours) was due at 3,451 hours 46 minutes.
Personnel Information
The pilot was a 59-year-old Italian male holding a valid Commercial Pilot License (Helicopter) with type ratings for SA316/319/315 and AS350/EC130, as well as Italian radiotelephony qualification. He held a valid Class 1 medical certificate with the limitation VDL (must wear corrective lenses and carry spare glasses). He had a total flight time of 3,490 hours, of which only 3 hours 40 minutes were on the accident type in the preceding nine months. He had worked for the aircraft owner since 2009 and was under a full-time fixed-term employment contract from 12 June 2014 to 12 October 2014 at the time of the accident.
The flight engineer was a 36-year-old Italian male who had been employed by the aircraft owner since 2001.
Both the pilot and the flight engineer were assigned to operate I-LUPU by the operator, Helixcom srl, under a temporary personnel provision agreement.
Damage
The helicopter sustained serious damage from the ground impact. The fuselage was found tilted on its right side, where the most significant damage was concentrated. The cockpit collapsed, and the plexiglass was completely shattered. The engine/main rotor assembly shifted to the right and protruded from the paneling. The right skid was destroyed, while the left skid remained in place. The tail boom broke about two-thirds of its length, where the right stabilizer was crushed and the left stabilizer showed a deep cut near its attachment. The tail rotor drive shaft was severed. The tail rotor blades were intact. One main rotor blade was broken approximately halfway along its length, and the other two blades exhibited significant delamination.
The wakeboard cable installation was severed by the helicopter during the initial strike.