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Saint-Joachim-de-Courval, near Drummondville, QC -
Canada
Phase:
En route
Nature:
Private
Departure airport:
Saint Georges de Beauce, QC
Destination airport:
Saint-Alexis-de-Montcalm, QC
Investigating agency:
TSB
Confidence Rating:
Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Narrative: On 1 February 2018, at about 1945 Eastern Standard Time, the privately operated Robinson R44 Raven I helicopter departed Saint-Georges de Beauce, Quebec, with the pilot and 2 passengers on board, on a night visual flight rules flight to Saint-Alexis-de-Montcalm, Quebec. At 2032, the Canadian Mission Control Centre received a distress signal from the helicopter’s emergency locator transmitter. At about 21:35, the helicopter was found in a field in Saint-Joachim-de-Courval, Quebec, near Drummondville, Quebec. The helicopter was destroyed by impact forces and a post-impact fire. All of the occupants were fatally injured.
Findings as to causes and contributing factors: 1. It is highly likely that the pilot encountered unfavourable weather conditions that resulted in a loss of visual references to the ground. 2. It is highly likely that the pilot lost control of the helicopter as a result of spatial disorientation. 3. Given the pilot's total number of flying hours, his training, and his limited night flight experience, it is likely that the pilot did not have the skills needed to handle a significant reduction in visual references to the ground.
Findings as to risk: 1. If the Canadian Aviation Regulations (CARs) do not require pilots to maintain their night-flying skills in order to use the privileges of a night rating, there is a risk that they will be unable to recognize spatial disorientation and react appropriately, increasing the risk of an accident resulting from a loss of control. 2. If the CARs do not require pilots who conduct night visual flight rules flights to undergo recurrent assessments in the form of dual-instrument flights with a qualified instructor, there is an increased risk that, in the event of a loss of visual references, pilots will not be able to maintain control of the aircraft or regain control in time to avoid an accident. 3. If the CARs do not clearly define visual references to the surface, night flights may be conducted with inappropriate visual references, increasing the risk of accidents involving a loss of control or controlled flight into terrain.
Helicopter crashes near Drummondville, Québec, Canada - Un hélicoptère se serait écrasé près de Drummondville - ZONE911 - Actualités et information du milieu de l'urgence - (média collaboratif) https://t.co/eNMe1jg09Tpic.twitter.com/PWKAp7CoVa