What happened
On December 25, 2022, at approximately 01:22 local time, an Airbus Helicopters MBB-CA117 D-2 (registration HB-ZQN) was engaged in a rescue mission departing from Pourtalès, Neuchâtel. The aircraft, operated by Schweizerische Luft-Ambulanz AG, was flying under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) with a crew of two and one passenger on board. During the departure phase, which was being conducted under fog conditions, the flight crew encountered significant difficulties regarding the accuracy of their positioning and navigational data.
The investigation
The Swiss Transportation Safety Investigation Board (SUST) is currently conducting an investigation into the event. The inquiry focuses on the discrepancy between the various data sources available to the flight crew during the critical departure phase. Investigators are examining the technical performance of the onboard automation systems and the reliability of the external navigation information provided to the crew during the low-visibility operation.