ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 277569
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| Date: | Sunday 27 March 2022 |
| Time: | 10:07 |
| Type: |  Eurocopter AS 350B2 |
| Owner/operator: | West Coast Helicopters Maintenance and Contracting |
| Registration: | C-FWCA |
| MSN: | 4554 |
| Year of manufacture: | 2008 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | 3 nm SSE of Bella Coola Airport (CYBD), BC -
 Canada
|
| Phase: | Landing |
| Nature: | Passenger - Non-Scheduled/charter/Air Taxi |
| Departure airport: | |
| Investigating agency: | TSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information verified through data from accident investigation authorities |
An Airbus AS 350 B2 operated by West Coast Helicopters Maintenance and Contracting Limited, was conducting heli-ski operations from Bella Coola Airport (CYBD), BC. After dropping off a group of heli-ski passengers, the pilot was re-positioning the aircraft to an unmarked (un-staked) landing zone on the crest of a ridge. The pilot conducted a visual reconnaissance of the ridge from the east and west side before proceeding with the landing. During the approach from the west, the pilot lost visual reference with the snow surface immediately prior to touchdown and the aircraft drifted laterally to the right. The right skid touched down in the snow and the aircraft rolled over to the right. The main rotor blades made contact with the surface and the tail boom before the fuselage settled upright on both skids. The pilot pulled back on the throttle lever and the emergency fuel shutoff lever to shut down the engine before egressing through the right cockpit door.
There was no post impact fire or loss of fuel. The 406 MHz emergency locator transmitter activated automatically and the satellite signal was received by the Canadian Mission Control Centre. The pilot was uninjured and the aircraft was substantially damaged with the tail boom severed from the fuselage.
The pilot contacted the company dispatcher with a handheld radio and the company activated their emergency response plan. A second company helicopter was operating in the vicinity and returned all heli-ski passengers to CYBD followed by the occurrence pilot.
Sources:
TSB
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 21-Apr-2022 18:50 | harro | Added |
| 21-Apr-2022 18:51 | harro | Updated [Other fatalities] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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