What happened
On May 8, 2023, at 12:36 local time, a midair near-collision occurred at Son Bonet Airport in the Balearic Islands, Spain. A Piper PA-46-500TP, registration N-86MH, was on final approach for landing when it nearly struck an Airbus Helicopters AS-350 B3, registration EC-NDJ, which was also on final approach. At the moment of the near-miss, the helicopter was positioned approximately 5 meters above the aircraft.
The pilot of the N-86MH was conducting a private flight from Avignon to Son Bonet. During the approach, the pilot failed to maintain proper radio communications because the incorrect frequency had been selected. The pilot noted that while attempting to switch frequencies near Inca, the selection may have been lost, though the manufacturer stated that turbulence does not affect Garmin G1000 frequency settings. Due to the immediacy of the landing, the pilot did not perform any evasive maneuvers upon spotting the helicopter.
The EC-NKJ helicopter, operated by Sky Helicopters, was returning from firefighting practice exercises. The crew was alerted to the presence of the aircraft by a passenger who spotted the plane passing beneath them. Like the pilot of the fixed-wing aircraft, the helicopter pilot was unable to execute evasive action before the aircraft passed in close proximity.
No injuries were reported among the 5 occupants of the N-86MH or the 6 occupants of the EC-NKJ.
The investigation
The CIAIAC investigation established that neither aircraft followed the full aerodrome traffic pattern, instead approaching via the final segment. This prevented both crews from having an adequate opportunity to establish visual contact and maintain separation.
Regarding communications, the investigation found that the pilot of the N-86MH had incorrectly selected the Son Bonet radio frequency. While the pilot believed turbulence might have caused the change, the investigation concluded the error was likely a manual selection mistake. Furthermore, the owner of the N-86MH did not provide necessary documentation regarding the aircraft's airworthiness or the Garmin G1000 SD card data for the investigation.
Findings
- The primary cause of the incident was the failure to comply with visual flight rules (VFR), specifically the lack of continuous external lookout to identify nearby traffic.
- A contributing factor was human error regarding the failure to ensure the correct communication frequency was selected during the approach.
- Both aircraft bypassed the standard aerodrome traffic pattern, significantly reducing the window for collision avoidance.
- The lack of an Aerodrome Flight Information Service (AFIS) at Son Bonet meant there was no controller to provide traffic advisories or confirm the presence of other aircraft.