07/03/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 07/03/2026 00:27
Collision with ground, fire
France - BEA
The translation below is for information only:
The sole pilot on board took off from Barcelonette-Saint-Pons aerodrome to fly over the Verdon.
The aircraft hit the ground under undetermined circumstances. A fire broke out.
| Local date | 28/06/2026 |
| Responsible entity | France - BEA |
| State or area of occurrence | France - 04 Alpes-de-Haute-Provence |
| Location | La Palud-sur-Verdon |
| Human consequences | Fatal |
| Number of death | 1 |
| Aircraft consequences | Destroyed |
| Occurrence class | Accident |
| Occurence category | F-POST: Fire/smoke (post-impact), UNK: Unknown or undetermined |
| File number | BEA2026-0270 |
| Aircraft category | Microlight - Microlight-Class 6-Helicopter |
| Operator | France - Private Operator |
| Manufacturer / Model | HELISPORT - CH77 |
| Aircraft Registration | 04JD |
| State of registry | France |
| Last departure point | France - LFMR (BAE) : Barcelonnette Saint-Pons |
| Planned destination | France - LFMR (BAE) : Barcelonnette Saint-Pons |
| Flight phase | Unknown |
| Serial number | |
| Operator Type AG | Private owner |
| Operation Type | Non-Commercial Operations - Pleasure - Local |
BEA is the French air safety investigation authority for civil aviation. The sole objective of the investigation is to improve air safety. It is intended neither to apportion blame nor to assess responsiblity.