Eurocopter AS350B2 Ecureuil crash near Odemira, Portugal

An Everjets AS350B2 fighting a forest fire at S. Martinho das Amoreiras, Odemira, saw electric cables below it after a water drop and pulled up sharply, but the bucket still struck them. The bucket curled up towards the tail and caught in the aircraft antennas. With the helicopter still controllable the pilot landed about 300 metres ahead. Investigators found smaller cables below the ones he had noted on his reconnaissance were hidden by smoke and poor visibility in 40 degree heat.