What happened
On April 3, 2023, at 18:20 UTC, a PMD Kiss 216MF helicopter, registration LV-X695, was conducting a general aviation test flight at the Ezpeleta Aerodrome in Buenos Aires. During the takeoff phase of the operation, the aircraft experienced a loss of control. This instability led to a sudden and forceful contact with the ground, which caused the right skid to collapse and triggered a subsequent bounce of the airframe.
Following this initial incident, the aircraft was involved in a second impact during a later landing attempt. During this phase of the flight, the main rotor blades struck the terrain, resulting in damage to the aircraft.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the sequence of events occurring during the takeoff and landing phases at the aerodrome. The JST examined the mechanical behavior of the aircraft, specifically the failure of the right skid following the initial ground impact and the subsequent contact between the main rotor and the ground. The investigation confirmed that the flight was a short-duration test operation lasting approximately one minute.
Findings
- The primary cause of the initial ground contact was a loss of control during the takeoff maneuver.
- The impact with the terrain was severe enough to cause the structural collapse of the right landing skid.
- The aircraft sustained one minor injury to a crew member during the events.
- The secondary impact involving the main rotor occurred during the landing phase of the flight.