Investigation of serious aviation incident in Surnadal, Surnadal municipality, Møre og Romsdal County, Norway
On 12 August 2026, LN-OXO — an Airbus Helicopters AS 350 B3 operated by Helitrans AS — carried out cargo flights. During a takeoff, the longline got caught on an excavator. The longline snapped, and the crew subsequently landed without further incident.
The NSIA has opened an investigation to clarify the sequence of events and the contributing factors to the incident. Based on this, the NSIA will assess areas for improving safety.
It is not the NSIA’s task to apportion blame or liability under criminal or civil law. The purpose of the investigation is solely to contribute to learning and the prevention of serious incidents and accidents.
Latest update: 29.09.2026
Facts
| Location | Surnadal municipality, Møre og Romsdal County, Norway |
| Occurrence date | 12.08.2026 |
| Aircraft | Airbus Helicopter AS 350 B3 Ecureuil |
| Operator | Helitrans AS |
| Registration | LN-OXO |
| Meteorological conditions | VMC |
| County | Møre og Romsdal |
| Type of occurrence | Serious incident |
| Type of operation | Commercial, other |
| Category of operation | Light, helicopter (<= 2 250kg) |
| Aircraft category | Helicopter, Single-engine, Turboprop/turboshaft |