What happened
On October 28, 2022, at approximately 18:39 local time, a serious airprox incident occurred over the city of Aarau. An Airbus Helicopters H145 (registration HB-ZQG), operated by Schweizerische Luft-Ambulanz AG, was conducting a medical rescue mission under Visual Flight Rules (VFR). The helicopter was en route from Aarau toward Delémont.
During the flight, the helicopter encountered a drone, identified as a DJI Matrice 600, at an altitude of roughly 1,200 feet above ground level (AGL). The drone was being operated by a single remote pilot for commercial purposes, flying within visual line of sight (VLOS) on a mission originating and ending in Aarau. The encounter took place during twilight hours.
The investigation
The Swiss Transportation Safety Investigation Board (SUST) initiated an investigation into the close proximity between the two aircraft. The inquiry focused on the flight paths and the operational environment in the Aarau area during the evening hours to determine the circumstances that led to the near-collision.