Accident to the Agusta Bell AB206 registered F-HGJL on 02/05/2018 at around 35 NM south-west of Cayenne (French Guiana)
Perte de contrôle en vol en conditions météorologiques défavorables au vol à vue, collision avec la végétation
Cat. 1 investigation report: ICAO-format report, published after a major or complex investigation.
On Wednesday, 2 May 2018 at 13:28, the pilot of F-HGJL, accompanied by two passengers, took off from the operating base, Funair, situated at Macouria (French Guiana) bound for the Grand Usine gold mine (French Guiana), situated at 93 NM on the 219° radial of the Cayenne VOR-DME (CYR).
At 13:37, the pilot informed the Cayenne-Félix Éboué (French Guiana) tower controller that he was passing the 10 NM point (mandatory reporting point with the air navigation services).
From 13:59, without contact from the pilot at the last mandatory reporting point (40 NM point), the controller tried to contact the pilot numerous times, without success, and initiated an INCERFA phase. A few minutes later, on receiving a signal from the helicopter’s emergency locator transmitter, a DETRESFA phase was activated.
The wreckage of the helicopter was located around five hours later in the jungle between Mont Soufflet mountain and Montagne Chevaux mountain (at around 33 NM on the CYR 219° radial). The pilot and one of the passengers were fatally injured, the second passenger, seriously injured, was transferred to Cayenne hospital by helicopter.
Based on the safety investigation, the BEA has addressed a safety recommendation to:
- the DGAC in order that potential instructing parties are informed of their responsibilities in the scope of an own-account flight, and of the differences with a commercial flight.
The BEA issue 1 safety recommendation:
- Recommendation FRAN-2021-018 / Own-account air transport
The BEA recommends that:
- Whereas the potential lack of knowledge of instructing parties with respect to their regulatory obligations when carrying out own-account transport;
- Whereas the pilots and aircraft hire companies have the appropriate level of knowledge to inform the potential instructing party;
- Whereas the difference in safety level between a flight carried out by an operator holding an AOC and a flight carried out in the scope of own-account transport;
The DGAC take the necessary measures to impose, in particular in French Guiana,on aircraft hire companies and pilots, a general obligation to inform potential instructing parties of their responsibilities in terms of the organization and safety of the flight and the differences between commercial air transport and ownaccount air transport.
The recommendations are being processed
The status of the recommendations is available at SRIS2: click here
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Note: in accordance with the provisions of Article 17.3 of Regulation No 996/2010 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 October 2010 on the investigation and prevention of accidents and incidents in civil aviation, a safety recommendation in no case creates a presumption of fault or liability in an accident, serious incident or incident. The recipients of safety recommendations report to the issuing authority in charge of safety investigations, on the measures taken or being studied for their implementation, as provided for in Article 18 of the aforementioned regulation.