Incident Overview
On 12 February 2015, a serious incident involving a near collision occurred between a Northrop F-5E Tiger II aircraft, operated by the Swiss Air Force under the call sign Tractr2, and an AS 350 B3 helicopter, registration HB-ZNH, operated by Swiss Helicopter AG. The event took place 4 nautical miles southeast of the military airfield Meiringen (LSMM).
Aircraft and Operators
The F-5E Tiger II was a state-owned aircraft operated by the Swiss Air Force. The helicopter AS 350 B3 was registered HB-ZNH and operated by Swiss Helicopter AG. The investigation identified that the fighter aircraft was not equipped with a collision warning system, which played a systemic role in the incident.
Cause
According to the Swiss Transportation Safety Investigation Board (STSB), the serious incident was due to the dangerous approach between a climbing fighter aircraft and a helicopter following the helicopter pilot's non-compliance with the assigned altitude. Additionally, the fact that the fighter aircraft was not equipped with a collision warning system played a systemic role in the incident.
Additional Findings
Although not having an influence on the occurrence and course of the serious incident, the investigation identified a factor representing a safety risk: the conditional clearance issued by air traffic control left room for interpretation.