Ten people died while filming the show in Argentina, including three top athletes.
On March 9, 2015, filming in Argentina of the show dropped, which was to be broadcast on TF1, turned tragic. During a close flight at low altitude, two helicopters collided.
Ten people had lost their lives: sailor Florence Arthaud, Olympic swimming champion Camille Muffat, Olympic medal-winning boxer Alexis Vastine, five French production members and two Argentinian pilots.
Investigations Completed
In the process, an investigation was opened into the helicopter accident, caused by the collision between two aircraft. More than seven years after the events, on December 15, the Parisian investigating judge announced to the various parties that the investigations were over. In the end, five people were indicted for “manslaughter”, learned BFMTV, confirming information from AFP.
These are the managers of the company ALP (Adventure Line Production), which was responsible for producing the program for TF1. ALP was also indicted for “manslaughter”, as a legal person.
The judge’s decision is motivated by possible shortcomings. She felt that ALP officials had not taken the necessary steps to ensure the safety of athletes and film crews.
Pilot error
In Argentina, the local equivalent of the Civil Aviation Safety Investigation and Analysis Bureau (BEA) conducted the investigation. And his conclusions were final. He indicated that the collision of the two helicopters was caused by a pilot error, in connection with a lack of training of the Argentine pilots hired by the production. They were not sufficiently prepared and trained for a flight in close formation, requested by the production.
“For a few seconds of television, we put the safety of all the participants at stake. In the end, there are ten dead”, reacts to BFMTV Solenn Le Tutour, lawyer for the civil parties in the file.
The lawyer believes that the production should have committed a lot more resources to carry out the flight. Contacted by BFMTV, the lawyer for the ALP company did not wish to comment.
An “inexcusable fault”
Alongside this criminal procedure, civil proceedings have been initiated by the families of the victims, to obtain compensation. In two separate decisions – Versailles on May 27, 2021 and Amiens on July 5, 2022 -, courts of appeal granted compensation, recognizing that the employer ALP had committed an “inexcusable fault”.
The various parties involved in the procedure now have a period of three months to submit their observations and request additional investigations from the judge, who can either accept or refuse them. The prosecution will then take requisitions for or against a referral to court. The judge will then sign the order. Whether or not a trial will be held in this case will be known in about six months.
