ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 277366
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| Date: | Wednesday 16 March 2022 |
| Time: | 13:43 LT |
| Type: |  Eurocopter AS 350B3 |
| Owner/operator: | Kootenay Valley Helicopters |
| Registration: | C-GWTQ |
| MSN: | 7482 |
| Year of manufacture: | 2012 |
| Engine model: | Turbomeca ARRIEL 2D |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | 35 nm N of Nelson, BC -
 Canada
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Unknown |
| Departure airport: | |
| Investigating agency: | TSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
An Eurocopter AS 350B3 helicopter, operated by Kootenay Valley Helicopters was conducting avalanche control operations with 1 pilot and 2 avalanche technicians on board.
The operation consisted of dropping strategically placed explosive charges onto the slope from a height of approximately 20 feet. They were operating at an elevation of about 7000' ASL, about a hundred feet below a mountain slope ridgeline. The sparsely treed mountain side was covered in snow and ice. Very shortly after the technician released a charge, the helicopter encountered an area of reduced visibility. The pilot lost visual reference and the tail rotor contacted the sloping terrain or a tree. The helicopter shuddered and the pilot immediately performed a forced landing.
The helicopter descended, impacted the hard snow pack and rolled over. In the process, the tail boom was struck and partially severed by the main rotor blades. The helicopter came to rest onto its side, approximately 25 feet from the explosive charge that had been released. The explosive detonated about a minute and a half after the forced landing but did not trigger a release of the snow pack. All occupants were able to extricate themselves from the wreckage and the pilot
secured the electrical and fuel systems. The two avalanche technicians accounted for and recovered all remaining explosive charges from the helicopter. Using portable radios, they contacted a nearby skiing operation and a helicopter operator to arrange for transportation off the mountain. The ELT activated and the signal was received by the Canadian Mission Control Centre who relayed to information the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Victoria, BC. Search and rescue personnel were not deployed to the site.
The helicopter has been removed from the mountain.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
TSB
https://aerossurance.com/helicopters/whiteout-during-avalanche-explosive-placement/
Location
Media:
An avalanche control flight was caught in a whiteout and struck the ground just below an explosive charge they had just dropped to trigger an avalanche... https://t.co/aqw48n5wza #helicopter #asccident #survivabilty #aviationsafety #flightsafety pic.twitter.com/UjpA6dxGrb
— Aerossurance (@Aerossurance) November 19, 2022
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 13-Apr-2022 11:40 | harro | Added |
| 13-Apr-2022 11:41 | harro | Updated [Aircraft type, Location, Narrative] |
| 19-Nov-2022 11:42 | Aerossurance | Updated [Aircraft type, Source, Embed code] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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