ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 16836
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| Date: | Saturday 16 July 2005 |
| Time: | 12:20 |
| Type: |  Bell 205 A-1 |
| Owner/operator: | Héli-Express |
| Registration: | C-GADA |
| MSN: | 30031 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1968 |
| Engine model: | Avco Lycoming T5313B |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Location: | Solitude Lake, QC -
 Canada
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Fire fighting |
| Departure airport: | |
| Investigating agency: | TSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information verified through data from accident investigation authorities |
The Bell 205 A-1 helicopter (registration C-GADA, serial number 30031), with a pilot and a loadmaster on board, was engaged in forest fire suppression operations at Solitude Lake, Quebec, about 25 nautical miles northwest of Port-Cartier, Quebec. At approximately 1220 eastern daylight time, the helicopter hover taxied from a fuel cache site located at the south end of the lake. The helicopter was slinging an empty water bucket on a 100-foot longline. While decreasing power to bring the helicopter to a hover, the pilot felt a vibration, followed by a loud bang, and what seemed to be a loss of power. The helicopter quickly lost altitude and pitched nose down and to the right before striking the water. The pilot and loadmaster managed to exit the helicopter while it was sinking and were rescued by nearby firefighters. The pilot-in-command was seriously injured. The loadmaster sustained minor injuries. The helicopter was substantially damaged.
The helicopter was positioned too far from shore to provide adequate visual references for longline operations, and it is likely that the water bucket inadvertently entered the water while the helicopter was transitioning from a hover taxi to a hover.
The anchor effect of the water bucket may have caused the helicopter to swing downwards, and there was insufficient time, altitude, or visual references to prevent the helicopter from striking the water.
The pilot was not wearing the available shoulder harness during longline operations, which likely contributed to the severity of his injuries.
Although there was no effect on engine performance, the presence of unauthorized parts and the unbent first stage compressor blade locking tabs denotes a lack of quality control on the part of both maintenance facilities involved.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
https://www.tsb.gc.ca/ENG/rapports-reports/aviation/2005/a05q0119/a05q0119.html
History of this aircraft
Other occurrences involving this aircraft
| 14 June 2013 | C-GADA | Heli | 0 | 5149N06937W | |
sub |
Images:
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 28-Mar-2008 05:44 | harro | Added |
| 16-Sep-2020 12:16 | Aerossurance | Updated [Location, Source, Narrative] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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