AAIU Cites Unsecured Power Bank in 2022 EC155 Crash

The Air Accident Investigation Unit (AAIU) of Ireland has concluded that “loss of control in flight during transition from forward flight to hover due to the collective pitch lever movement being restricted by a loose article” led to a Sept. 15, 2022, accident involving an Airbus Helicopters EC155B at Shannon Airport (EINN). According to the AAIU’s final report, that article was an unsecured portable power bank.

Registered EI-XHI, the helicopter was on a positioning flight from Loughrea, County Galway, to Shannon with only the 50-year-old ATP-certified pilot aboard. As it approached the light aircraft parking area, the AAIU found, the pilot attempted to flare and transition to a hover. However, the collective pitch lever “available movement…was in the order of 20–25 mm,” or close to one inch, “from the full down position,” preventing the pilot from controlling the descent.

“The collective pitch lever movement was restricted by a portable power bank device which was unsecured in the cockpit,” the report said. The device had migrated from the avionics center console into a space between the pilot’s seat and the console, where it became trapped against the lever’s friction lock adjuster sleeve.

Striking the taxiway with significant downward force and forward momentum damaged the left main and nose landing gear, causing structural damage to the nose section of the rotorcraft. The aircraft remained upright and continued along the taxiway toward the east apron. The last recorded ground speed before the transmission was lost was 55 kts. There was no fire, and the pilot, who was using a five-point harness, was uninjured. Airport police and fire crews responded after witnesses observed the accident.

Investigators determined that the portable power bank fit precisely into the gap between the collective lever and console housing, allowing only minimal movement. Witness marks confirmed the obstruction point.

AAIU noted that similar control restrictions have been identified in previous accidents, including a 2001 Irish EC120 incident caused by a mobile phone jamming the yaw control and a 2022 U.S. Army CH-47D crash where an unsecured tablet blocked a pedal. The agency cited U.S. National Transportation Safety Board Safety Alert SA-026, “All Secure, All Clear,” which warns about loose items migrating into control linkages.

The report also noted that helicopter operations at Shannon Airport lacked defined landing procedures despite an Irish Aeronautical Information Publication entry stating “NIL” for helicopter landing areas. Helicopters routinely used taxiways and aprons for arrival and departure without formalized protocols, the AAIU found. This practice, the agency observed—combined with proximity to active stands and ground personnel—created an unnecessary safety risk.

Three safety recommendations were issued: That Shannon Airport Authority DAC, in coordination with stakeholders, augment infrastructure for helicopter operations to mitigate identified risks; that the Irish Aviation Authority conduct a national review of helicopter procedures and infrastructure at licensed aerodromes and implement mitigations; and that EASA review flight data recorder system approvals issued since 2009 to ensure compliance with updated certification standards.

AAIU found that the pilot held a valid ATPL(H) and Class 1 medical. The pilot had logged 12,591 flight hours, including 1,096 on the EC155 type.