What happened
On Tuesday, October 29, 2002, at 15:45, an Eurocopter AS355 N (registration F-GVHF) was conducting a reconnaissance flight of the Paris-Lille TGV high-speed rail line. The flight originated from Le Bourget aerodrome, initially flying at an altitude of 35 meters before increasing to 30 and then returning to lower altitudes for inspection.
During the return leg of the mission, the pilot observed vehicles parked near the railway line's perimeter fence between Ablaincourt and Verberie. In an attempt to investigate these vehicles, the pilot reduced the aircraft's airspeed and descended to an altitude of approximately 15 meters. After determining there were no anomalies in the safety zone, the pilot attempted to climb back to the original cruising altitude. During this maneuver, at an altitude of roughly 20 meters, the helicopter struck a high-voltage power line.
Following the impact, a passenger reported hearing a noise, seeing smoke in the cabin, and smelling a burning odor. The pilot successfully performed an emergency landing in a field adjacent to the TGV line. There were no fatalities among the three persons on board.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the circumstances of the impact and the damage sustained by the aircraft. The inspection of the site revealed that two of the three 63,000-volt cables had been severed. On the aircraft, investigators identified damage to the landing gear, headlights, and the firewall, noting two specific fusion points on the firewall caused by the electrical contact.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was attentional focus on ground objects, specifically the parked vehicles, which led to the non-perception of the obstacle.
- The pilot's attention was diverted by the presence of the cars, resulting in a failure to identify the high-voltage line, which was positioned perpendicular to the flight path.