What happened
On November 5, 2022, at approximately 08:30 local time, an A109E helicopter, registration I-PIKI, struck the western slopes of the Gargano promontory near Apricena, Italy. The aircraft was performing a commercial air transport (CAT) flight. During the flight, the crew encountered a sudden deterioration in weather conditions, leading to an involuntary transition from visual flight rules to instrument meteorological conditions (inadvertent IMC). The aircraft subsequently impacted the terrain at an altitude of approximately 1,534 feet.
The investigation
The ANSV investigation focused on the sequence of events leading to the impact and the technical capabilities of the aircraft. Investigators noted that the aircraft was not equipped with flight data recorders (FDR/CVR), GPS tracking, or a Terrain Awareness and Warning System (TAWS). While the helicopter was equipped with an Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT), the device failed to activate following the crash, which delayed search and rescue operations. Radar data also indicated that the aircraft had deviated from its planned route while flying over the sea, several minutes prior to the accident.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was a controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) resulting from the crew's entry into inadvertent IMC without timely corrective action.
- The crew's familiarity with the local terrain may have led to overconfidence, potentially causing them to underestimate the effects of a crosswind drift.
- The absence of a TAWS on board removed a critical layer of protection that could have mitigated the risk of CFIT.
- The lack of a flight following or monitoring system prevented the operations center from identifying the route deviation and providing situational awareness support to the crew.