Helicopter nearly collides with small aircraft near Muhos in Finland

The Accident Investigation Agency has released a report regarding a dangerous incident that occurred in Muhos in July, involving a helicopter performing an emergency maneuver due to the proximity of a small aircraft. The event took place on the evening of July 20, when a Finnhems medical helicopter was en route from Oulu to a traffic accident site in Ristijärvi. However, the mission changed, leading the helicopter to Kajaani instead, flying at an altitude of approximately 400 meters.

While the helicopter pilot was attempting to contact area air traffic control to activate the flight plan, the flight assistant was occupied with other tasks. At that moment, the pilot noticed a small aircraft approaching from the upper left. According to the pilot’s assessment, the plane was so close that it covered about 70 percent of the helicopter’s windshield. The aircraft was only a few dozen meters away and was descending almost directly in the helicopter’s flight path, prompting the pilot to execute a sharp evasive maneuver.

The investigation revealed that the pilot had no visibility of the small aircraft before the incident, due to a lack of sights to the upper left from the cockpit. There was also no radio communication with the plane, and it did not appear on the helicopter’s radar. It is believed the small aircraft either lacked a transponder or it was turned off. The agency has been unable to identify the pilot of the small plane.

The medical helicopter arrived safely in Kajaani shortly after 9 PM, and the crew continued their shift without interruption despite the near miss. The report concluded that no formal safety investigation would be initiated, as the incident took place in uncontrolled airspace where air traffic services are not provided. Monitoring of airspace and making traffic reports is the responsibility of aircraft pilots. Additionally, the report noted that aircraft systems do not warn of nearby vessels if the transponder is not activated or installed.