What happened
On June 16, 2020, at approximately 15:30 local time, an Airbus Helicopters AS 350 B3 helicopter, registered HB-ZNZ, was engaged in aerial work near Fontane, in the municipality of Vergeletto, Ticino. The aircraft was operating under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) for the purpose of cargo operations. During the process of lifting a load using a cable, the helicopter made contact with an overhead electrical line.
The investigation
The preliminary investigation by the Swiss Transportation Safety Investigation Board (SUST) focused on the sequence of events leading to the impact. The inquiry established that the collision occurred specifically during the maneuver to hoist the cargo. The impact with the 16 kV power line resulted in the line being severed and caused serious damage to the aircraft.
Findings
- The primary cause of the incident was the collision with an electrical power line during the lifting phase of the cargo operation.
- The contact with the energized line led to the physical severance of the 16 kV infrastructure.