Can a small shrub disable a two-ton helicopter? This is the question that arises after the landing accident that occurred in the English Channel on November 23, 2024, which seriously damaged the device of the Samu from Ille-et-Vilaine. That day, the helicopter had been deployed to rescue victims of a serious road accident, but during landing, the tail had hit a shrub and damaged the blades of the rear rotor. The machine had been nailed to the ground, and that of civil security had to take over to transport the injured.
A mechanical problem?
It was not until December 10, 2024, i.e. 17 days after the incident, that the machine arrived in a maintenance workshop in the Var, by land. Teams have started to dismantle the device and doubt persists about a possible mechanical problem. “They do not explain that a hedge of shrubs caused such damage to a rotor which turns at 3,000 rpm. The rear tail has been perforated. So they strongly suspect a mechanical problem”explains Professor Louis Soulat, head of emergencies at Rennes University Hospital.
Overhaul of all helicopters of the same series
The accident investigation office for state aeronautics safety (BEA), systematically called upon in this type of case, has requested a review of all helicopters in the same category. Remember that this is an EC 145 model, leased to the English company Babcok, European leader in medical transport services. Several devices rented to civil society and French hospitals are affected.
A full assessment is underway, but the Samu 35 helicopter may not even be repairable, as the costs would be high. While waiting to see things more clearly, the Rennes University Hospital is using the device from the Saint-Brieuc hospital, where a replacement machine has been chartered.
