Investigation Summary
The accident occurred approximately 1 nautical mile northwest of Zell am See Airport at an altitude of about 5,090 feet. The Helog-operated Super Puma was flying north-north-east over the airport's traffic pattern while the Diamond DV20 was climbing through the pattern. Both aircraft were operating under VFR in 50km visibility. The investigation by the Austrian Air Accident Investigation Board highlighted that the cockpit designs of both aircraft restricted the pilots' fields of vision. Additionally, the pilots' attention was partially occupied by maintaining terrain clearance due to the nearby mountain slopes, which may have contributed to inattentional blindness regarding the other aircraft.
Final Conclusions
The investigation concluded that the primary cause of the accident was the failure of both pilots to maintain a sufficient visual lookout to ensure separation from other traffic. Contributing factors included the inherent limitations of the 'see and avoid' concept in high-traffic VFR environments and the potential for cockpit pillars to obstruct the pilots' field of vision during turns. The Austrian authorities emphasized the need for increased vigilance in alpine airport traffic circuits.
Video Analysis
No video analysis linked for this case file yet.
Systems & Failure Modes
Cockpit Field of Vision
The investigation noted that the structural design of both the SA 332 and the DV20 restricted the pilots' ability to see each other during the specific encounter geometry.
Visual Perception / Terrain Clearance
Pilots' attention was divided between traffic separation and maintaining clearance from the nearby mountain slope, contributing to a failure to detect the conflicting aircraft.
Interesting Facts
- 01The collision occurred in clear weather conditions with excellent visibility.
- 02The accident involved a heavy transport helicopter (SA 332) and a light fixed-wing training aircraft (DV20).
- 03None of the occupants survived the initial impact and subsequent fire.
- 04The accident remains one of the deadliest mid-air collisions involving helicopters in Austrian history.
Safety Actions & Advisories
VFR Traffic Awareness
Austrian aviation authorities issued reminders to VFR pilots regarding the critical importance of continuous 360-degree scanning in high-density tourist areas.