1998 Agusta A-109K2 Accident at Lodrino (HB-XWF)

Flight and Accident Sequence On July 15, 1998, a worker was injured in a quarry near Lodrino, Switzerland. The Swiss Air-Ambulance (Rega) helicopter Agusta A-109K2, registration HB-XWF, departed from Locarno at 1640 local time with four people aboard: a pilot, a doctor, a rescuer, and a Green Cross trainee. The pilot located the patient around 1650. Due to the terrain, the helicopter positioned itself in a hover about 70 meters upstream of the patient to drop off the doctor and trainee, then landed in a field below. The doctor requested a stretcher and a winch harness via radio. The helicopter delivered the equipment using a fixed line and returned to the field. Later, the doctor indicated the patient was ready for evacuation. It was decided to first transport the Green Cross trainee to receive the patient in the field. The helicopter took off again and approached perpendicular to the slope. After dropping the trainee, it immediately took off northward. To prepare for lifting the patient and doctor with the fixed line, the pilot turned left to face the wind, which was blowing from the south. During this approach, the helicopter struck a transport cable with its nose wheel, pitched up, then nosed down, spun twice, and descended in autorotation to land in a dry riverbed. The landing was very harsh. The crew was rescued and taken to Lugano Hospital. The pilot died from his injuries the following day. The rescuer, who suffered serious injuries to his spine and right leg, recovered. The accident site coordinates were 718 280 / 130 320 at an altitude of 270 meters above sea level.