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H145 helicopter hits power lines during a rescue operation

An Airbus Helicopter H145, callsign Dragon 972, operated the French government civil-protection-branch hit three high voltage power lines near the shoreline of Schoelcher, Martinique, during a rescue operation on April 3rd 2019.
The helicopter had just winched up a person out of the sea from a boat 150 meter offshore. Rescue-diver and the victim were hanging on the winch below the helicopter, when it flew into the power lines. The H145 is equipped with cable scissors, which succeeded in cutting the power lines and the crew rapidly recover the control of their machine. The winch-cable released and both persons fell down into the water, but swam safely to shore.

Comments

Joe
Madison (Usa)
I love that the rescuer on the hoist just noped right off. He dropped himself and the victim back into the water deciding it was safer to be in the water than dangling under a helicopter that just took direct hits from high voltage power lines. Getting chopped up by blades while in the cockpit is not as a highly likely as getting chopped up by blades when you are dangling underneath.
10th September, 2022
KEL
Calgary (Canada)
Poor situational awareness. the pilot had become extremely focused to the point of having tunnel vision. In the pilots defense, powerlines can be tough to see.
18th February, 2021
oscar rik
Sao Paulo (Brazil)
Is very very very rare to see one cable over the sea, the pilot did think in to put the men directly on the beach, I think.
28th November, 2020
Carl Hackert
Saratoga Springs, Ny (Usa)
Poorly trained and inattentive helicopter crew. They should have stayed over the rescue area until the winch was fully retracted and the victim and rescuer were safely inside and the helicopter could have landed. Instead, they stupidly dragged the two people below the powerlines! All are very lucky that no one was killed in this botched "rescue" which also destroyed several perfectly good powerlines and knocked out electricity in the area. It looks that the 4 cables should have been visible to at least one of the helicopter pilots.
30th April, 2019
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