A mystery surrounds the near-tragedy in Guspini. An investigation will clarify the reasons for the accident , and the narrow escape for the crews, which occurred Friday between a Super Puma helicopter and a Canadair during operations to extinguish a massive fire in Putzu Nieddu.
The Forestry Corps has already initiated an investigation into this matter: "This is a necessary step," explains Director General Gianluca Cocco . "We've launched an internal investigation to understand what actually happened, so we can ensure this doesn't happen again. I think ENAC will do the same."
According to witnesses, the impact occurred a few minutes before 3 p.m. A Canadair "Can 27" from Olbia and three helicopters were operating on the fire at the time, including a Super Puma from the Alà dei Sardi base.
A massive deployment of forces for a fire that had been keeping Forestry Corps, firefighters, Civil Defense, and volunteer teams busy since morning, and which by the end of the day had resulted in a devastating damage estimate, with approximately five hundred hectares of countryside burned. But the toll could have been tragic . Canadairs and helicopters were battling not only the flames but also the enormous columns of smoke rising from the ground. And the smoke itself could be a key factor in the accident.
This is evident from a few-second video shot from the ground with a smartphone about a hundred meters away. The Super Puma helicopter and the Canadair approach from opposite directions, the former flying from right to left while the latter, lower down, emerges from a cloud of smoke and heads to the right. It is precisely during this passage that the collision occurs: the Canadair's right wing intercepts the helicopter's steel cable holding the so-called "bamby bucket," the bag containing the water used to put out fires. Immediately afterward, the cable breaks free, along with the bag, avoiding serious injuries to the crews but forcing both aircraft to make an emergency landing.
At this point, doubts arise. According to the official version provided by the Forestry Corps, the 30-meter cable attached to the helicopter broke following the contact. On the other hand, Raimondo Piras , 57, with experience as a firefighter, witnessed the two aircraft collide with each other: "Thanks to the quick reflexes of an operator, the helicopter and the Canadair did not crash, killing both crews: he released the cable just as the plane suddenly emerged from the smoke. The cable detached from the helicopter's center-of-gravity hook, a very special system with a series of safety mechanisms."
According to experts, intervening on an active fire is one of the riskiest missions for a pilot. In addition to the fire, there's also the issue of poor visibility due to smoke, which could also interfere with aircraft engine operation, and the often-present wind. Another factor to consider is radio communications between pilots coordinating their maneuvers. Sometimes, as one experienced pilot admitted, in such cases, lines can be disrupted: messages might not be understood or there might be gaps in communication. Is this the case? An investigation by the relevant authorities, primarily the Forestry Corps, will determine what actually happened in Guspini.