Aerospatiale AS350B2 Ecureuil crash near Coimbra, Portugal

An AS350B2 flying for AFOCELCA from Baltar to Portimão stopped at Coimbra Aerodrome, which was covered by low cloud. After two unsuccessful approaches the pilot glimpsed the runway through a gap in the fog and began a steep descending turn, then inadvertently entered cloud. He applied power and levelled the helicopter, but came out of the cloud too low to arrest the descent and struck the runway hard, permanently deforming the skids. Nobody was injured.