SE-JHH

Information

This helicopter was constructed by Eurocopter at the Marginane factory in France back in 2001. It was the two hundred Colibri built by Eurocopter and the delivery was set off with a small ceremony at the factory before the helicopter was flown to Sweden in late March of 2001.

It was purchased by Sikfors based Stenvalls Trä AB and soon entered service with Stenvall's large helicopter company Kallax Flyg AB. The aircraft served as a true workhorse in the company, and it was soon accompanied by several more EC120s. The helicopter operated throughout large parts of northern Sweden and Norway.

SE-JHH was badly damaged in an accident on 26 September 2013. The helicopter was engaged in a reindeer herding approximately 85 km north of Kiruna when the customer expressed the need to airlift a broken quad bike to a small village nearby. The helicopter took off with the quad attached to a 12-meter sling below. The power margin was deemed sufficient. Following the lift-off the aircraft soon turned downwind and started to settle, resulting in the load impacting the ground. The quad was dragged a short time as the pilot flared to cushion the landing, but the flare did not prevent the helicopter from hitting the ground. The aircraft ended up resting on its right side. All three people onboard, the pilot and two crew members, and a dog managed to evacuate the wreckage without any serious injuries.

The Swedish Accident Investigation Board concluded that the difficulties involved in the mission were underestimated, which was believed to have laid ground for the accident.

SE-JHH was eventually replaced by the Colibri SE-JVX.