Introduction
On 5 April 2023, a Bell 505 helicopter with registration mark VN-8650 lost contact during a tourist flight and crashed into the sea near Hon Dep Island, Ha Long Bay, Quang Ninh Province. The aircraft was destroyed, and all five occupants—one pilot and four passengers—died in the crash.
Events
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Committee was established by the Vietnamese Prime Minister in accordance with Decision No. 599/QD-TTg dated 30 May 2023. Following the initial salvage, the committee decided to conduct a second salvage operation to search for the tail rotor hub and tail rotor blades, which were missing during the first recovery effort.
On 17 and 18 August 2023, the committee and the team responsible for rescue and debris collection at the accident scene, in coordination with other authorities, carried out the second salvage. However, the search ended without locating the missing components.
Investigation Efforts
On 14 November 2023, based on analysis and evaluation of information, debris, and data from the Garmin 1000H MFD device, the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) issued the preliminary investigation report via Official Dispatch No. 79/CHK-TCATB. This report provided factual information about the conditions and context leading to the accident.
In February 2024, after receiving the EECU and Vision 1000 devices from the helicopter, the French Bureau of Enquiry and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety (BEA) decoded the Vision 1000 device and downloaded image data (video) from part of its internal memory.
Since 7 March 2024, the BEA and the engine manufacturer SAFRAN have coordinated to evaluate the condition of the helicopter engine's EECU (DECU) equipment. They are in the process of decoding and analyzing data. The results of the data analysis will be reviewed by the CAAV, and the final investigation report will be drafted immediately after receiving reports from BEA and SAFRAN.
Current Status
Completion of the investigation is dependent upon receipt of the outstanding reports from BEA and SAFRAN.