Date:	Friday 14 August 2009
Time:	16:30
Type:	Bell 212
Owner/operator:	Elbow River Helicopters
Registration:	C-GTKE
MSN:	30704
Year of manufacture:	1975
Engine model:	PWC PT6T-3
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Category:	Accident
Location:	near Lytton, BC -   Canada
Phase:	Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.)
Nature:	Fire fighting
Departure airport:
Destination airport:
Investigating agency:	TSB
Confidence Rating:	Information verified through data from accident investigation authorities

Narrative:
The Elbow River Helicopters Bell 212 helicopter was engaged in firefighting operations about 20 nm south of Lillooet, British Columbia. At approximately 1602 Pacific daylight time, the accident helicopter approached the Fraser River to pick up water. Shortly before reaching the pickup location, the helicopter descended unexpectedly and its water bucket, on a 150-foot longline, touched down in a fast flowing section of the river. As the helicopter continued forward, it was dragging the water bucket. Moments later, the helicopter pitched nose-down, yawed to the left, struck the river surface, broke up, and sank. The pilot escaped the wreckage and was swimming in the fast flowing water. Repeated attempts to rescue the pilot by other helicopters in the area proved unsuccessful. The pilot's body was found downstream five days later. Some pieces of the wreckage, including the longline and water bucket, were retrieved, but the majority of the wreckage was not recovered.

http://www.tsb.gc.ca/eng/rapports-reports/aviation/2009/a09p0249/a09p0249.asp

[LINK NOT WORKING ANYMORE:http://www.news1130.com/news/local/more.jsp?content=20090814_203652_9728]
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/helicopter-crashes-fighting-bc-forest-fires/article1253051/
http://web.archive.org/web/20090818140327/http://www.cbc.ca:80/canada/british-columbia/story/2009/08/14/bc-helicopter-crash-lillooet.html

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
14-Aug-2009 22:47	onward	Added
16-Aug-2009 11:36	onward	Updated
17-Aug-2009 20:55	onward	Updated
09-Sep-2009 05:42	RobertMB	Updated
11-Apr-2010 11:28	onward	Updated [Source, Narrative]
21-Oct-2010 13:33	harro	Updated [Source, Narrative]