THE HAGUE - In the crash involving a maritime NH-90 helicopter near Aruba in 2020, external factors did not play a role in the cause of the accident. This is apparent from the investigation by the Defense Security Inspectorate (IVD).

On Sunday, July 19, 2020, an NH-90 helicopter of the Defense Helicopter Command crashed into the sea during a training flight near Aruba. The two crew members who were in the back of the helicopter managed to free themselves from the aircraft. The two crew members in the cockpit did not survive the accident.

The IVD states that the investigation has found no indications that external influences, such as the weather and circumstances surrounding the aircraft or technical failure of the helicopter, caused the accident.

In the events preceding the accident, the Inspectorate identified several factors that explain the crew's possible or non-actionable actions, such as limited risk awareness and the possibility that the cockpit thought that the helicopter was in a Vortex Ring State. This is a flight condition in which the helicopter quickly loses altitude due to recirculation of the airflow through the rotor system and in which control over the helicopter is greatly reduced.

Although the flight crew met the required skills, the study underlines the importance of the education and training of military personnel. The IVD concludes that the crew acted to the best of their ability and the crew members did more than could be expected of them.

The investigation also identified aspects that have delayed the rescue of the helicopter crew. For example, there was no optimal equipment to free victims from a crashed helicopter and to provide care for the drowning.