ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 30199
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| Date: | Thursday 6 April 2000 |
| Time: | 17:45 |
| Type: |  Eurocopter AS 350B2 Ecureuil |
| Owner/operator: | West Coast Helicopters |
| Registration: | C-FWCN |
| MSN: | 3221 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1999 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Location: | near Bella Coola, 4 nm N of Hagensborg, British Columbia -
 Canada
|
| Phase: | Approach |
| Nature: | Passenger - Non-Scheduled/charter/Air Taxi |
| Departure airport: | |
| Helipad, Bella Coola, BC | |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information verified through data from accident investigation authorities |
Aircraft attempted to a flight up to the repeater tower site. Icing conditions existed. Aircraft settled on the hillside, it then rolled and destroyed itself. Pilot exited the aircraft and walked up the hill and called for assistance. The pilot was uninjured. TSB are investigating.
Update from TSB - April 12, 2000 TSB Occurrence #A00P0052 THE PILOT OF THE WEST COAST HELICOPTERS ASTAR AS-350B2 (C-FWCN) WAS INBOUND TO A MOUNTAIN REPEATER SITE AT ABOUT 5,800 FEET ASL, 4 NM NORTH OF HAGENSBORG, BC, TO PICK UP A RADIO TECHNICIAN. THE HELICOPTER REPORTEDLY ENCOUNTERED ICING CONDITIONS, SETTLED AND CRASHED ON THE MOUNTAINSIDE AT THE 5,520-FOOT ELEVATION AT 1745 PDT. THE WEATHER WAS REPORTED AS SCATTERED TO BROKEN CONDITIONS, WITH SOME CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY IN THE FORM OF CUMULUS CLOUD, WITH WESTERLY WINDS AT 10 KNOTS GUSTING TO 16. THE RADIO TECHNICIAN REPORTED THAT CLOUDS HAD BEEN MOVING IN AND OUT WITH SOME LIGHT SNOW SHOWERS. THE OUTSIDE AIR TEMPERATURE WAS ABOUT -6 DEGREES CELSIUS, AND THE SNOW APPEARED DRY. AFTER A 20-MINUTE RECONNAISSANCE OF THE AREA, THE PILOT APPROACHED THE LANDING AREA FROM THE EAST, INTO WIND, FOLLOWED THE RIDGE LINE, AND HOVERED ABOUT 2,000 FEET AWAY AND 200 FEET BELOW THE LANDING AREA. THE PILOT HOVERED THERE FOR ABOUT 8 MINUTES IN REDUCED VISIBILITY WHILE WAITING FOR THE AREA TO CLEAR. HE THEN NOTICED THAT THE TAIL ROTOR PEDAL INPUT REQUIREMENT HAD INCREASED, AND THAT THE TORQUE INDICATED 103%. AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, THE FUEL QUANTITY INDICATED ABOUT 45%, AND THERE WAS NO CARGO OR PASSENGERS ON BOARD. BECAUSE THE HELICOPTER WAS SETTLING WITH NO MORE AVAILABLE POWER, THE PILOT TRIED TO FLY AWAY FROM THE MOUNTAIN. TO MAINTAIN VISIBILITY, HE HAD TO CARRY OUT A LEFT PEDAL TURN AND FLY AWAY DOWNWIND; HOWEVER, THE HELICOPTER SETTLED AND DID NOT CLEAR THE SLOPING GROUND WHICH WAS TOO STEEP FOR LANDING. WITH LOW FORWARD SPEED AND RATE-OF-DESCENT, THE MAIN BLADES STRUCK THE GROUND AND THE HELICOPTER ROLLED ONTO ITS LEFT SIDE WITH THE BELLY FACING DOWNSLOPE. THERE WAS NO FIRE. THE PILOT RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES AND ESCAPED FROM THE HELICOPTER. HE THEN CONFIRMED THAT THE ELT WAS TRANSMITTING, TURNED THE FUEL VALVE AND ALL ELECTRICAL SERVICES OFF, AND RADIOED FOR HELP WITH A PORTABLE RADIO. ONCE HE CONFIRMED THAT HELP WAS ON THE WAY, THE PILOT TURNED OFF THE ELT AT 1815 PDT AND CLIMBED UP TO THE REPEATER SITE TO AWAIT PICK-UP.
Sources:
1. [LINK NOT WORKING ANYMORE:http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/civilaviation/publications/tp202-4-00-548-3284.htm:] TSB REPORT A00P0052
2. CADORS 2000P0194
3. https://www.helis.com/database/cn/37022/
4. http://www.tc.gc.ca/media/documents/ca-publications/4_2000.pdf
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 27-Sep-2008 01:00 | ASN archive | Added |
| 26-Jun-2014 00:19 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Country, Phase, Nature, Destination airport, Source, Damage, Narrative] |
| 09-Jul-2014 01:45 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Location, Phase, Nature, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
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