Helicopter crash: a case report

The author present a private helicopter crash case happened in Northern Italy in January 2008. The pilot (43 y.o.) had a 15 years of non professional aviation experience, as passenger the pilot’s wife (46 y.o). Around 15 minutes after departure, the helicopter crashed on the ground and then set in flames. The pilot and his wife were killed on impact with the ground and were found outside the helicopter cabin, completely destroyed and reduced in wreckages. The pilot sustained severe external carbonization, mutilation of the lower trunk and pelvis area, with laceration of the abdominal wall and complete avulsion of the bowel; severe blunt force trauma with multiple fractures of face/skull, multiple rib and sternal fractures, multiple thoracic organs lacerations (lung; tracheal wall; pericardial myocardial; aorta), T5-T6 vertebro-medullary fractures, bilateral diaphragm lacerations, multiple lacerations of stomach, liver and bowel. The passenger-wife presented a skull crash, multiple thoracic organs lacerations (lung; tracheal wall; pericardial myocardial; aorta), T5-T6 vertebro-medullary fractures, bilateral diaphragm lacerations with partial liver herniation, multiple lacerations of liver and spleen, pubic fracture and multiple pelvic and upper and lower limbs fractures. Soot was not present in the upper airways and in the esophageal-gastric tract of both bodies. Pilot’s toxicological analysis: blood alcohol 0.35g/L; brain alcohol: 0.15g/Kg, carboxyhemoglobin: undetectable; metahaemoglobin: 10.5%. Engine/mechanical failure was excluded and a pilot error/inexperience in difficult weather conditions (fog with high reduced visibility) was considered the primary cause of this aviation fatality.