Occurrence
On the evening of the accident, a Bell 206L-1 helicopter (registration C-FFEX, serial number 45715) departed from a remote area approximately 100 nautical miles east of Webequie, Ontario, bound for Cochrane, Ontario. The flight had started under visual meteorological conditions, but weather deteriorated en route. At approximately 2100 eastern daylight time, about five miles west of Cochrane, the pilot lost outside visual reference and the aircraft struck the ground. The aircraft was on a flight plan, prompting a communication search by the London Flight Information Centre. Personnel from Expedition Helicopters Inc. began a ground search and located the wreckage approximately three hours later. The aircraft was destroyed, and the pilot—the sole occupant—was seriously injured.
Pilot and Flight Details
The pilot held a commercial rotary wing pilot licence endorsed for day VFR operations, with about 490 total flight hours (430 on type). He had received 10.4 hours of dual instrument training before licensing and no additional instrument training afterward. The flight occurred after three consecutive days of rest, and duty times in the prior 30 days met regulatory requirements. The helicopter, manufactured in 1981, had accumulated about 7,537 hours. No airframe failure or engine malfunction was found; the journey logbook showed no deficiencies. However, the directional gyro rotated to a heading approximately 180° from its initial setting. The pilot considered it inaccurate and used the GPS for heading information.
Weather and Flight Planning
Earlier that day, the pilot received a weather briefing from the London FIC. The aerodrome forecast (TAF) for Timmins, Ontario, called for VFR conditions but was valid only until 1600. A VFR flight plan was filed for the trip to the remote site (T1) and return to Cochrane. At 1735, the pilot updated the flight plan via satellite phone but did not request weather information. No contact was made with the company base in Cochrane. Departure from T1 occurred around 1800. About 60 nautical miles northwest of Cochrane, ceiling dropped to about 300 feet agl. The pilot descended to near treetop level, navigating by following a river toward Cochrane. Near the destination, a small area of improved visibility appeared, but the pilot then lost visual reference in poor weather.
Accident Sequence
The aircraft struck the ground while flying east, traveled through brush upright for about 108 feet, became airborne briefly, then hit terrain in a nose-down attitude, flipped, and came to rest on its left side. The total wreckage trail measured 418 feet. The cockpit forward of the pilot's seat was destroyed. Official sunset was 2014, and evening civil twilight ended at 2048; the accident site was in darkness about 30 minutes before the occurrence. The pilot had used the GPS to calculate sunset at T1 (2040), but the destination location (Cochrane) yielded a sunset time of 2018—a 22-minute difference.
ELT and Safety Equipment
The emergency locator transmitter (ELT), an ACK Technologies E-01-03, was mounted in the nose section near the right lower window. It was found detached from the aircraft, about 60 feet from the cockpit, with the switch in ARM. The external antenna cable had separated during impact. The ELT's certification (due May 2007) had lapsed; the last certification was May 2006. However, examination showed it was serviceable at the time of the accident. No ELT signal was reported heard by search and rescue.
Findings
The Transportation Safety Board determined that the flight was continued at night in deteriorating weather, resulting in the pilot losing visual reference and becoming disoriented, which led to the aircraft being flown into the ground. Additional risks noted included departing without latest weather and the ELT mounting vulnerability.