Mi-2 Helicopter Forced Landing Results in Structural Damage

No fatalities • Республика Беларусь, Брестская область, Лунинецкий район

A Mi-2 helicopter, registration EW-164CC, experienced an engine shutdown and forced landing during a forest fire detection mission in Belarus.

On June 27, 2021, at 10:00 local time, a Mi-2 helicopter operated by the State Aviation Emergency and Rescue Service 'AVIATSIA' of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Belarus departed from Pinsk for a scheduled flight route. The mission was intended to detect forest fires across several locations, including Potapovichi, Telekhany, and Kosovo.

During the flight, the aircraft encountered a period of high airspeed and vertical speed. The pilot attempted to recover from a dive, but the excessive airspeed caused a 'servo transparency' effect in the automatic roll control system. This resulted in the aircraft transitioning from an altitude of approximately 600 meters into a rapid descent with a pitch-up angle exceeding 20 degrees.

As the crew attempted to recover the aircraft, the pilot aggressively reduced the collective pitch. This action caused the main rotor speed to exceed allowable limits, triggering the free turbine protection system (AZST) to automatically shut down the engines. The crew performed a forced landing at a site selected from the air.

The aircraft, registration EW-164CC, landed in an unairworthy attitude on its tail skid. The impact, characterized by excessive pitch-up, increased airspeed, and vertical speed, caused the helicopter to tip to the right. The incident resulted in damage to the tail rotor and other structural damage to the airframe. No injuries were reported.

Probable cause

The incident was caused by a forced landing on a tail skid following an engine shutdown. The shutdown was triggered by the free turbine protection system due to excessive rotor speed caused by aggressive collective pitch reduction. Contributing factors included exceeding the maximum allowable airspeed, which led to a loss of hydraulic amplifier effectiveness (servo transparency) and a subsequent rapid descent.

Frequently asked questions

What happened in the 2021-06-27 Ми-2 accident near Республика Беларусь, Брестская область, Лунинецкий район?

A Mi-2 helicopter, registration EW-164CC, experienced an engine shutdown and forced landing during a forest fire detection mission in Belarus.

Were there any fatalities in the 2021-06-27 Ми-2 accident?

No fatalities were recorded in this accident.

What aircraft was involved and where did it happen?

The accident on 2021-06-27 involved a Ми-2, registration EW-164CC, operated by Государственное авиационное аварийно- спасательное учреждение «АВИАЦИЯ» МЧС РБ, at Республика Беларусь, Брестская область, Лунинецкий район.

What was the probable cause of the accident?

The incident was caused by a forced landing on a tail skid following an engine shutdown. The shutdown was triggered by the free turbine protection system due to excessive rotor speed caused by aggressive collective pitch reduction. Contributing factors included exceeding the maximum allowable airspeed, which led to a…

Loading the flight search…