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2005 SA315B Helicopter Accident at Cabane des Vignettes (HB-ZFU)

Cabane des Vignettes, VS, CH

On July 11, 2005, an AEROSPATIALE SA 315 B (registration HB-ZFU) was involved in an aviation accident near Cabane des Vignettes, VS, CH. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The main rotor collided with an obstacle during takeoff from a platform that was too narrow and located too close to the hut. This summary draws on records from the Swiss Transportation Safety Investigation Board (STSB / SUST).

Sourcesthe Swiss Transportation Safety Investigation Board (STSB / SUST)Primary reportUpdated 2026-10-18Data APIEditorial standards

On July 11, 2005, an SA315B helicopter (HB-ZFU) struck a mountain hut's roof during takeoff from a narrow platform at Cabane des Vignettes, Switzerland, and crashed. The pilot was uninjured.

Incident Overview and Cause Investigation Report No. 1959 by the Bureau d’enquête sur les accidents d’aviation (BEAA) details the accident of an SA315B helicopter, registration HB-ZFU, which occurred on July 11, 2005, at approximately 15:20 local time. The aircraft, owned and operated by Air Glaciers SA, crashed at Cabane des Vignettes in the commune of Evolène, Valais, located about 25 km south-southeast of Sion. The official investigation concluded that the accident was caused by the main rotor colliding with an obstacle during takeoff from a platform that was too narrow and situated too close to the hut.

Probable cause

The main rotor collided with an obstacle during takeoff from a platform that was too narrow and located too close to the hut.
Loss of control in flight

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Investigation report by the Swiss Transportation Safety Investigation Board (STSB / SUST). Original record: https://www.sust.admin.ch/inhalte/AV-berichte/1959.pdf. This page is a structured re-presentation; facts and quotes are in the Swiss Transportation Safety Investigation Board (STSB), Switzerland.