Agusta AW-109, M-EMLI, 2 May 2012

Agusta AW-109, M-EMLI

Summary:

On arrival at the landing site, the passenger, who was a helicopter pilot, requested that the aircraft be landed on a path to avoid damaging a lawn, which was “boggy”. He said that he had established on a previous visit that there was sufficient clearance from a line of trees to the north west. The pilot agreed to the request and also judged that there would be sufficient clearance. However, the rotor blades clipped a small branch of one of the trees while the helicopter was manoeuvring.

The pilot believed he had allowed himself to be persuaded to take an inappropriate course of action. He would not normally have landed so close to obstacles and, although he saw the trees, he did not see the overhanging branch, which was not in leaf.

Download report:

Agusta AW-109 M-EMLI 09-12.pdf (216.04 kb)

Published 10 December 2014