HAI/MARK BENNETT IMAGE FROM ISTOCK/BILANOL PHOTO


ACCIDENT RECOVERY


By David Jack Kenny


Past the Limits


Pilot inexperience, absence of crash-resistant fuel system lead to heartbreaking outcome.


S 62 ROTOR JUNE 2022


OME FLIGHT PROFILES ARE EASIER TO EXECUTE THAN OTHERS, but the simplest can still present unex- pected challenges—especially in rarely drilled emergencies or situations that tempt pilots to exceed their own or their organization’s limits.


The Flight On Aug. 31, 2019, a charter operator at Alta in northern Norway offered quick sightseeing flights to guests at the annual Høstsprell music festival, a service the company had provided since 2012. The weather was fine, with light winds and a few scattered clouds. Two company pilots made the seven-minute flight


from Alta Airport (ENAT) to the festival area at Kvenvikmoen in LN-OFU, an AS350 B3. One pilot oper- ated the helicopter while the other served as


loadmaster. They landed at 16:12 local time and shut down the engine to board the initial group of passen- gers. The loadmaster seated them, secured their safety restraints, and provided them with headsets. The first flight took off at 16:40 with five passengers


on board. ADS-B returns and flight tracking data from the operator’s GPS monitoring system showed that the heli- copter initially flew northeast toward Alta, then made a wide right turn toward the Skoddevarre mountain while returning to the festival site. One passenger estimated


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