ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 240236
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| Date: | Monday 17 August 2020 |
| Time: | 18:30 |
| Type: |  Eurocopter AS 350B2 Ecureuil |
| Owner/operator: | Aberdeen Helicopters Ltd |
| Registration: | C-FAHC |
| MSN: | 2898 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1996 |
| Engine model: | Avco Lycoming LTS-101-700D2 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | near Eskay Creek Mine, Iskut River, 45nm NNW of Stewart, BC -
 Canada
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | External load operation |
| Departure airport: | |
| Investigating agency: | TSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
On 17 August 2020, the Aberdeen Helicopters Ltd. Eurocopter AS 350B2 helicopter was conducting visual flight rules (VFR) operations in support of a mineral exploration project. The pilot’s tasks began at 06:52 with flying the day shift crew to their drill sites on Nickel Mountain, British Columbia (BC), and returning the night shift crew to Garibaldi Camp located 9 nautical miles (NM) northwest of the drilling area. The pilot then picked up 2 workers from the camp, dropped them off on the mountain, and, at approximately 07:50, landed at a location known as the Volcano staging area, approximately 1 NM southeast of the drilling site at Pad 27.
As the sole occupant, the pilot removed the helicopter’s external storage basket, fuelled the aircraft, and attached a 75-foot longline in preparation for the next task, moving a dismantled drill rig from Pad 27 to Pad 7, approximately 1400 feet to the northwest. The first set of lifts between the pads began at approximately 08:00 and continued until approximately 08:42, when the pilot returned to the Volcano staging area to refuel.
The pilot returned to Pad 27 at approximately 08:54 to resume the longline operation to move the drill rig. During one of the 11 lifts, the pilot communicated that he would have to hover in place due to reduced visibility before he could continue with the lift. The visibility improved and the rig transfer continued. At approximately 10:06, the pilot returned to the Volcano staging area to refuel.
At 10:22, the pilot returned to Pad 27 to move the last piece of the drill rig. After the drill foreman had hooked the load up to the helicopter’s longline, the pilot communicated that poor weather was approaching and that he was unable to take the load. The load was disconnected and the helicopter hovered in place for approximately 1 minute. At 10:24, the pilot backed away from the drill pad downslope (southwestward) at a ground speed of between 1 and 2 knots and stopped approximately 200 feet away. He then moved back toward the pad, and the drill crew asked if they should remove the longline. The pilot said it was not necessary, and at 10:25:40, he turned and began to accelerate on a southwestward track. Heavy rain began at this time.
Over the next 30 seconds, global positioning system (GPS) data showed that the helicopter continued southwest and accelerated to a ground speed of approximately 70 knots at GPS altitudes of between 5600 feet above sea level (ASL) and 5500 feet ASL. At 10:26:02, the pilot released the longline from the helicopter onto the hillside about 800 feet west of Pad 27 and, 9 seconds later, the helicopter began to track to the right in a turn at approximately 5° per second. The change in altitude during this turn was less than 100 feet. The turn continued until just after 10:26:27, when the helicopter collided with terrain.
The pilot was fatally injured. The aircraft was destroyed in the collision and a post-impact fire.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
https://bc.ctvnews.ca/helicopter-crash-in-remote-area-near-northern-b-c-mine-reportedly-fatal-1.5069471
https://ckpgtoday.ca/2020/08/18/helicopter-crash-north-of-stewart-involved-helicopter-from-prince-george/
https://www.bclocalnews.com/news/pilot-dead-after-helicopter-crash-at-nickel-mountain-in-northern-b-c-company-confirms/
http://aerossurance.com/helicopters/rain-refraction-mining-cfit/
https://www.aberdeenheli.com/about-aberdeen-helicopters.php
https://www.skeenaresources.com/projects/eskay-creek
https://www.garibaldiresources.com/news/2020/garibaldi-begins-drilling-at-nickel-mountain/
History of this aircraft
Other occurrences involving this aircraft
| 12 July 2004 | N91MH | Maverick Helicopter Inc | 0 | Grand Canyon West Airport (1G4), Peach Springs, AZ |  |
sub |
Location
Images:
Photo: TSB Canada
Photo: TSB Canada
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 18-Aug-2020 22:44 | Geno | Added |
| 19-Aug-2020 11:43 | Aerossurance | Updated [Source] |
| 22-Aug-2020 15:08 | Aerossurance | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
| 25-Aug-2020 11:54 | RobertMB | Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Registration, Cn, Operator, Location, Source, Narrative] |
| 13-Sep-2020 10:44 | harro | Updated [Location, Nature, Source, Damage, Narrative] |
| 02-Mar-2021 18:33 | rudy | Updated [[Location, Nature, Source, Damage, Narrative]] |
| 09-Mar-2021 20:57 | harro | Updated [Phase, Narrative, Category, Accident report, Photo] |
| 09-Mar-2021 20:58 | harro | Updated [Photo] |
| 02-Apr-2021 14:35 | Aerossurance | Updated [Location, Source] |
| 07-May-2021 09:05 | harro | Updated [[Location, Source]] |
| 07-May-2021 09:11 | harro | Updated [[[Location, Source]]] |
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