ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 277159
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| Date: | Wednesday 6 April 2022 |
| Time: | 09:09 |
| Type: |  Hughes 369D |
| Owner/operator: | Kestrel Helicopters Ltd |
| Registration: | C-GJLC |
| MSN: | 1129D |
| Year of manufacture: | 1981 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 11884 hours |
| Engine model: | Allison 250-C20B |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | near Sayward, BC -
 Canada
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | External load operation |
| Departure airport: | |
| Investigating agency: | TSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
A Hughes helicopter, operated by Kestrel Helicopters Limited, was conducting heli-slinging operations 25 NM ESE of Port McNeil (CAT5), BC with only the pilot on board. After releasing a bundle of cedar shake blocks, the pilot declared a Mayday on the FM radio to his ground crew. The groundcrew arrived at the helicopter shortly thereafter. The helicopter was substantially damaged. The pilot was fatally injured.
Findings as to causes and contributing factors
1. For undetermined reasons, shrinkage voids developed near the inner circumference of the engine’s sixth stage compressor wheel during the manufacturing process and went undetected using the existing inspection methods.
2. The sixth stage compressor wheel eventually failed when 2 separate fractures, one due to fatigue caused by shrinkage voids and the other due to overstress, occurred. The failure of the sixth stage compressor wheel resulted in a catastrophic engine failure.
3. The engine failure occurred shortly after the helicopter had released a load of cedar blocks from a 180-foot longline. Therefore, the helicopter likely had insufficient height and forward speed to conduct a successful autorotation. As a result, the helicopter impacted the terrain with significant vertical speed, causing substantial damage to the helicopter.
4. The helicopter pilot was subjected to a minimum vertical acceleration force of 53 g on impact, resulting in fatal injuries.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
https://vancouverisland.ctvnews.ca/pilot-dead-after-helicopter-crash-near-sayward-b-c-1.5851199
https://globalnews.ca/news/8741434/sayward-bc-helicopter-crash-pilot-killed/
https://www.cheknews.ca/helicopter-crash-near-sayward-1003598/
http://www.bst-tsb.gc.ca/eng/medias-media/deploiement-deployment/aviation/2022/20220406.html
NTSB
Location
Images:
Photo: TSB Canada
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 06-Apr-2022 20:49 | Iceman 29 | Added |
| 06-Apr-2022 22:40 | RobertMB | Updated [Aircraft type, Source, Embed code] |
| 07-Apr-2022 05:06 | RobertMB | Updated [Time, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Phase, Nature, Source, Narrative] |
| 07-Apr-2022 05:54 | Aerossurance | Updated [Narrative] |
| 07-Apr-2022 14:10 | gerard57 | Updated [Damage] |
| 07-Apr-2022 21:17 | Captain Adam | Updated [Registration, Cn, Source, Narrative] |
| 11-May-2022 09:41 | harro | Updated [Time, Narrative] |
| 16-Nov-2023 18:51 | harro | Updated [Other fatalities, Damage, Narrative, Accident report, Photo] |
| 16-Nov-2023 18:54 | harro | Updated [Time, Other fatalities, Embed code, Category] |
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