Robinson R44 II Accident at Breuil-Cervinia (I-OLLI)

Incident Overview and Location details are provided in the source. The accident occurred on October 25, 2020, at approximately 14:30 UTC. The aircraft, a Robinson R44 Raven II with registration I-OLLI and serial number 11439, crashed in the Breuil-Cervinia area (Aosta Valley). The wreckage was found at coordinates 45°55’27.20”N 007°40’46.30”E, at an altitude of 2,775 meters. The takeoff site was located near the Cime Bianche cable car station at 2,815 meters, approximately 350 meters from the crash site. The flight was the return leg of a visual flight rules (VFR) trip from Odolo (BS) to Breuil-Cervinia, carrying a passenger and ski equipment. No flight plans were filed, and no radio contact was made with air traffic services. The passenger died, while the pilot, a 61-year-old Italian, was seriously injured and airlifted to a hospital. The aircraft was destroyed, with no other damage reported. The pilot held a valid private pilot license (PPL(H)) and had extensive experience with Robinson helicopters, including 616 hours on the R22 and 687 hours on the R44. The aircraft was privately owned and not certified for instrument flight rules (IFR). It was equipped with a Lycoming IO-540-AE1A5 engine and had a maximum takeoff mass of 1,134 kg. The last scheduled inspection was performed on January 16, 2020. The estimated weight at the time of the accident was approximately 1,000 kg. The investigation was conducted by the Italian National Agency for the Safety of Flight (ANSV) to prevent future incidents, not to assign blame.