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Aerospatiale SA315B Lama accident history

Complete safety record for the Aerospatiale SA315B Lama, sourced from NTSB records, news reports, and official investigation authorities.

Total incidents
8
Confirmed fatalities
3
Fatal incidents
2
Fatal rate
25.0%
Probable causes
Pilot error2 incidents
Under investigation1 incident
Wire strike1 incident
Mechanical failure1 incident
Unknown1 incident
Where incidents occurred
🇭🇰Hong Kong
5 incidents
1 incident
🇵🇹Portugal
1 incident
🇨🇭Switzerland
1 incident
Why these are filed here

Aerospatiale was formed in 1970, absorbing Sud Aviation, and its helicopter division became part of Eurocopter in 1992. The SA-numbered types, among them the Alouette, Lama, Gazelle and Puma, are filed here rather than under Eurocopter, since they predate that company.

How many SA315B Lama crashes have there been?

8 recorded incidents involving the Aerospatiale SA315B Lama, from 1976 to 2026, with 3 deathsacross 2 fatal accidents. The deadliest was on 1980-06-27 at Tsuen Wan, Hong Kong, which killed 2.

What causes SA315B Lama accidents?

The most common established cause is pilot error, in 2 of them, then controlled flight into terrain in 1.

Where do SA315B Lama accidents happen?

DateLocationFatalities
2026-09-18🇺🇸McRae, United States—
2011-01-03🇭🇰Fanling, Hong Kong—
1995-06-29🇭🇰Tan Kwai Tsuen, Hong Kong—
1995-06-09🇭🇰Yuen Long, Hong Kong—
1992-08-17🇵🇹Vale de Cambra, Portugal—
1992-05-21🇭🇰Tuen Mun, Hong Kong1
1980-06-27🇭🇰Tsuen Wan, Hong Kong2
1976-06-30🇨🇭Val d'Agro, Switzerland—
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