What happened
On August 3, 1997, at approximately 16:30, a Hughes 269 C helicopter, registration F-GNCD, was performing a local flight over hilly, wooded terrain near Belmont-de-la-Loire. The pilot, accompanied by one passenger, was descending toward a small hamlet where the passenger had previously resided. During this low-altitude maneuver, the aircraft suddenly experienced a loss of directional control due to yaw instability.
In an attempt to manage the uncontrolled descent, the pilot sought to land in a nearby field with a slight slope. Upon contact with the ground, the right skid broke, causing the helicopter to capsize onto its right side. The aircraft sustained heavy damage during the impact.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the sudden loss of anti-torque functionality during the flight. Investigators examined the wreckage and determined that the tail rotor blades had been separated from the aircraft, with both blades being recovered approximately fifty meters from the main wreckage. The investigation sought to identify the specific cause of the tail rotor failure by analyzing the flight path and the surrounding environment.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was an in-flight collision with an obstacle, likely a tree branch, which led to the loss of the tail rotor function.
- The loss of anti-torque control caused the aircraft to become uncontrollable in the yaw axis.
- There were zero fatalities and no injuries reported among the two occupants.