Bell 47G-2 Crash During Agricultural Spraying in France (F-GPTO)

Incident Overview and Aircraft Details On June 13, 2012, at approximately 10:30 local time, a Bell 47G-2 helicopter with registration F-GPTO crashed in a rural area near Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, France. The aircraft was operated by an aerial work company and was destroyed in the incident. The helicopter had taken off from Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer at 07:30 to perform agricultural spraying operations. After refueling with a phytosanitary product, the pilot took off again at 10:20 to treat a rice paddy field. ## Sequence of Events and Pilot Actions During a low-altitude maneuver known as a 'renversement' (a technique used in spraying to stay close to the surface and reduce time between passes), the pilot reported feeling jolts and a sudden engine overspeed at approximately 10 meters above the ground. As the pilot attempted to level the helicopter, they experienced a loss of engine power and a loss of effectiveness of the anti-torque rotor. During the forced landing, the right skid struck the ground, causing the helicopter to tip onto its right side. ## Technical Findings and Environmental Conditions Damage to the main rotor and anti-torque rotor blades indicated that the rotors were rotating at low power at the time of the collision. Technical examinations of the aircraft did not reveal any anomalies that could explain the engine overspeed, power loss, or anti-torque rotor failure. The helicopter's weight and center of gravity were within the manufacturer's limits. Weather conditions at the time included a wind from 300° at 12 knots, clear visibility (CAVOK), and a temperature of 20°C. The pilot noted that the wind was light and crosswind during the passes. ## Pilot Background and Probable Cause The pilot had 2,500 total flight hours, including 2,000 hours on type and 107 hours in the previous three months (106 on type). They had been working in aerial operations since 2007. The pilot had not worked the day before the accident and had woken up about an hour before the first flight, reporting no fatigue at the time of the incident, which occurred after approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes of flight. The investigation concluded that the accident was probably due to inadequate coordination by the pilot between the power control and the collective pitch control during the maneuver. The engine overspeed may have been caused by an excessive reduction in collective pitch. During the overspeed, the pilot likely reduced power reflexively. When the pilot then increased the collective pitch to restore the trajectory, the power reserve was no longer sufficient. Proximity to the ground prevented the pilot from increasing the rotor rotation speed necessary for horizontal flight. The report noted that optimal attention is required for this maneuver and can be affected by fatigue.