What happened
On the evening of July 20, 2024, at approximately 20:40 local time, a FinnHEMS Eurocopter EC145 T2 helicopter was conducting an emergency medical flight from Oulu toward Ristijärvi. The crew consisted of a pilot, a flight attendant, and a doctor. During the flight, the mission profile changed, requiring a route adjustment toward Kajaani.
While the pilot was attempting to contact Area Control to activate a new flight plan, a light aircraft approached from the upper left at a nearly perpendicular angle to the helicopter's path. The pilot observed the aircraft at a vertical distance of approximately 100–300 feet and a horizontal distance of about 300 feet. The approaching aircraft was so close that it obscured roughly 70% of the helicopter's windscreen.
To avoid a collision, the pilot executed a sharp evasive maneuver toward the lower left. While the flight attendant noticed the aircraft during the maneuver, the doctor was occupied with a telephone call and only became aware of the danger when the sudden movement occurred. Following the incident, the helicopter continued to Kajaani, landing safely at the Kainuu Border Guard helicopter base at 21:12.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the circumstances leading to the near-midair collision in uncontrolled airspace. Investigators examined the visibility conditions, the functionality of the helicopter's Traffic Advisory System (TAS), and the technical status of the encountering aircraft. The investigation noted that the encounter occurred in uncontrolled airspace, where pilots are responsible for self-separation and monitoring traffic.
Findings
- The encountering aircraft was a white light aircraft with red stripes, featuring fixed landing gear. It was flying without radio communication.
- The light aircraft did not have an active transponder (or lacked one entirely), which meant it was invisible to the helicopter's TAS.
- The helicopter's cockpit design, specifically the upper panel, created a blind spot that prevented the pilot from seeing the aircraft earlier in its approach.
- The sun was low in the sky, shining from the direction of the helicopter's approach, which likely prevented the pilot of the light aircraft from seeing the helicopter.
- The flight attendant was focused on other tasks, leaving the responsibility for airspace monitoring solely to the pilot during the period of the encounter.