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| Date: | Wednesday 4 January 2023 |
| Time: | |
| Type: |  Bell 407 |
| Owner/operator: | Summit Helicopters |
| Registration: | C-GTHU |
| MSN: | 53333 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1999 |
| Engine model: | Allison 250-C47B |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 5 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | 17.5 SM NNW, Terrace, BC -
 Canada
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Passenger - Non-Scheduled/charter/Air Taxi |
| Departure airport: | Terrace Airport (CYXT), BC |
| Northern Escape Mountain Lodge, BC | |
| Investigating agency: | TSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
On 4 January 2023, a Summit Helicopters Ltd. Bell 407 helicopter was conducting a visual flight rules (VFR) flight from the Terrace airport (CYXT), British Columbia, to the Northern Escape Mountain Lodge, British Columbia, with one pilot and four passengers on board.
While in flight the aircraft encountered some fog; therefore, the pilot reduced altitude to maintain visual reference to the ground but subsequently became disoriented due to reduced visibility.
The helicopter impacted the surface of Treston Lake, then managed to climb out of the fog and continue to its intended destination without further incident. Subsequent inspection of the helicopter showed damage to the skid landing gear. There were no injuries.
Findings as to causes and contributing factors
1. Given the short duration of the flight, the pilot’s expectation of suitable weather conditions, a risk level that was assessed as low, and the underlying commercial pressure, the pilot decided to depart on a visual flight rules flight with localized fog conditions that were forecast on the planned route.
2. Owing to the visual cues provided by the river, the close proximity of the lodge, the pilot's familiarity and past success with his strategy for flight in low-visibility conditions, and the tendency for plan continuation under all of these conditions, the pilot continued the flight into an area with visibilities of less than ½ statute mile and insufficient environmental cues for visual flight rules flight.
3. Given the conditions of flat light, whiteout, and fog, the pilot lost his outside visual references while over the snow-covered lake, resulting in an unintentional descent and the helicopter’s collision with the frozen surface of the lake.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
https://www.tsb.gc.ca/eng/enquetes-investigations/aviation/2023/A23P0003/A23P0003.html
History of this aircraft
Other occurrences involving this aircraft
| 24 November 2017 | C-GTHU | Summit Helicopters | 0 | Prince George, BC (CYXS) | |
unk |
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 20-May-2023 10:51 | Aerossurance | Added |
| 28-Jun-2024 06:07 | ASN | Updated [Narrative] |
| 28-Jun-2024 06:25 | ASN | Updated [Narrative, Accident report] |
| 28-Jun-2024 06:27 | ASN | Updated [Damage] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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