The Airbus Helicopters AS 350B1 was on a powerline inspection flight in northern Norway when the helicopter became entangled in an unmarked line; a rotor blade cut the cable, and the pilot conducted an emergency landing in a nearby marsh, according to the Norwegian Safety Investigation Authority (NSIA).
Accident/Incident Investigation, Helicopter Safety, News
‘Inevitable’
The operator’s ‘inadequate preparation’ and the AS 350 pilot’s limited experience and heavy workload left him unaware of the unmarked power line until seconds before a wire strike, Norwegian investigators say.