Investigation Summary
The exercise involved three helicopters (one EC155 and two AS332 Super Pumas) tasked with delivering reinforcements to the Maifeld sports field. The first aircraft (EC155, D-HLTM) landed successfully but stirred up significant loose snow. The second aircraft (AS332) approached at a steep angle and hovered for 30 seconds, further increasing the snow cloud and completely engulfing the first helicopter. As the third aircraft (AS332, D-HEGB) attempted to land, the pilot lost sight of the ground marshaller due to the whiteout. Upon touching the ground, D-HEGB rolled over, leading to a catastrophic rotor-to-rotor collision with D-HLTM. The investigation highlighted that despite the pilots' experience, the lack of specific procedures for snowy ground landings and insufficient spacing between the aircraft contributed to the disaster.
Final Conclusions
The final investigation report, published in September 2014, concluded that the collision was caused by the loss of visual reference in whiteout conditions during a formation landing. Contributing factors included the lack of distinctive police procedures for landings on snowy ground, inadequate separation distances between the three aircraft, and minimal radio communication during the landing phase. The report also noted that the Federal Police aviation squadron was exempt from certain civilian aviation safety regulations, which hindered the implementation of previously recommended safety standards.
Video Analysis
No video analysis linked for this case file yet.
Systems & Failure Modes
Main Rotor
The collision involved the interaction of the main rotors of both aircraft, leading to the disintegration of the blades and the fatal injury of the EC155 pilot.
Flight Recorders
The EC155 (D-HLTM) was equipped with both a Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) and a Flight Data Recorder (FDR). The Super Puma (D-HEGB) was equipped with a CVR but lacked an FDR due to older certification standards.
Interesting Facts
- 01The accident occurred during a police exercise against football hooliganism.
- 02A total of 9 people were injured, including 5 individuals on the ground.
- 03The crashed Super Puma (D-HEGB) was not equipped with a flight data recorder as it was not required under its 1989 certification.
- 04The pilot of the second helicopter had extensive experience in mountain search-and-rescue and snowy landings.
- 05Investigators measured 15 centimetres of snow at the crash site, while 17 centimetres was measured in the immediate vicinity outside the site.
Safety Actions & Advisories
New Landing Procedures
The German Federal Police introduced special training units and new mandatory rules for helicopter landings in snow to prevent whiteout-induced disorientation.
NATO Technology Trials
The crash prompted NATO to initiate multinational trials for new technologies to assist pilots during low-visibility helicopter flights.
Known Controversies & Unanswered Questions
Dispute over Investigation Standards
Reference ↗The President of the Federal Police rejected the final report, claiming their internal findings showed sufficient aircraft spacing. Police pilots also criticized the lead investigator, a military pilot, for allegedly applying inappropriate military standards to police operations.