On 31 August 2019, an Airbus AS350 helicopter operated by a contracted Helitrans pilot from Sweden crashed in the mountains of Skoddevarre in Alta Municipality in Finnmark county, Norway.

Høstsprell, a music festival held in Kvenvik Alta Municipality, had been arranging helicopter tours for attendees every year since 2012[1] for 500 kr apiece.

He had obtained an AS350 rating from Airbus' facility in Marignane, France, in May 2018, where he scored a 96% on the knowledge test, and passed with full marks on the flight assessment.

[5] When questioned, CEO Oddvar Røysi denied that they left it out deliberately, noting that it was only considered "additional equipment" by the manufacturers.

[5] On 31 August 2019, a 100-hour inspection of LN‑OFU was performed at 13:30,[10]: 33  with no anomalies found, except a slight oil leak from the gasket of the gearbox's input shaft.

The crew of the plane started relaying information about the situation from Heli‑Team to the air traffic control tower at Alta Airport, including GPS-coordinates.

[18][19] The crew of the Heli‑Team spotted a survivor on the ground, around 50 meters (164 feet) from the crash site, after which they landed a safe distance away to try and assist him.

[10]: 16 Three representatives of the Norwegian Safety Investigation Authority (NSIA)[b] arrived at the crash site on 1 September to gather information.

[22] The Norwegian Civil Defence assisted in safeguarding and searching the area,[23] and provided air transportation of personnel and equipment for police.

[22] The NSIA asked airport operator Avinor for any additional data they had from radar and the air traffic control tower in Alta.

[22] Police in Finnmark notified the public that they had introduced a restriction on entry and flight within 500 metres of the crash site on 1 September.

[10]: 48 After preliminary investigations at the crash site, Airbus released an emergency alert service bulletin on 11 September, asking for immediate inspection of any new AS350, AS550, and EC130 helicopters.

[13] Media sent by the passengers through Snapchat, one captured half a minute before the crash, were initially analysed by the police, but were ultimately not useful in identifying any problems with the helicopter.

The flight data in their report also revealed that the aircraft had experienced great variations in velocities and heights, the latter of which was below the legal limit of at least 500 ft (152.4 m) above the terrain.

[10]: 103  The aircraft's pitch was recorded to be pointing 30° downward, which was outside the limit of 15° that Helitrans had set due to safety recommendations from the NSIA following the 2011 Dalamot helicopter crash [no].

[12] The pilot of a helicopter undergoing servo transparency can try to regain control by lowering the collective pitch, therefore reducing the stress on the rotor.

[10]: 103  There was no evidence to suggest that he had a debilitating clinical condition, weakened sense of awareness or judgement, or any other health problems during his flight.

[10]: 17  The distribution of the wreckage led the NSIA to suggest that the crash was a "low energy impact",[12] and stated that the chance of survival for the victims would have been higher if the aircraft hadn't caught fire, a consequence of it lacking a CRFS.

[52][53] People across Troms and Finnmark chose to stand by the roadside of the E6 motorway when the cortege was driving to Alta to pay their respects.

[63] Prime Minister Erna Solberg offered her condolences to the families of the victims and the community of Alta, in particular to Ronny Berg, who had worked in her cabinet.

[83] After the NSIA's report came out in March 2022, people in Alta voiced their criticism of the practice of flying sightseeing tours with passengers to build experience.

[86] Alta municipality mobilised a crisis response team at the town hall shortly after news of the accident was reported.

[87] The Regional Psychiactric Centre for Western Finnmark set up a phone number that the next-of-kin and friends of the victims could call for immediate support from emergency personnel or a crisis response team.

[88] The Municipal Medical Officer of Alta ordered local psychiatric institutions such as the Finnmark Hospital Trust to prioritise supporting the bereaved over other non-emergency cases.

[89] The local church (the Northern Lights Cathedral), youth centre, and hospital were fully staffed by doctors and nurses to provide support.

[2] The general manager of Alta Event, the company behind the festival, stated they would stop providing sightseeing tours in helicopters.

[7] On 2 September 2020, Helitrans general manager Richard Simonsen stated that they would no longer provide sightseeing tours out of respect for the victims.

[12] In March 2022, the NSIA requested a ban on commercial flights of helicopters without CRFSs within the European Union, noting that the occupants could have "probably survived" if a fire had not broken out immediately after.

[92] In November, the EASA released a Notice of Proposed Amendment to mandate the installation of CRFSs onto old helicopter designs still in production, and the retrofitting of existing aircraft with such systems.

[93] In light of the NSIA's report, Helitrans stated that they had replaced 60% of their old fleet with new helicopters installed with a CRFS; they did not view retrofitting their old rotorcraft with the system as cost-effective.