Aerospatiale AS350B3 Ecureuil crash near Melgaço, Portugal

An AS350B3 fighting a forest fire in the Peneda range near Parada do Monte, Melgaço, lost control and struck the ground, disintegrating and burning. The pilot, the only person aboard, was killed. Investigators found a tight turn with a loaded Bambi bucket set the load swinging, and cited the pilot''s limited experience of firefighting, underslung loads and mountain flying, a mass at operating limits, downdraughts over the mountain and weaknesses in the operator''s training and manuals.