What happened
A Bell 206L-1 helicopter, registration C-FFEX, was flying from a remote location east of Webequie, Ontario, toward Cochrane, Ontario, when it struck the ground. The flight, operated by Expedition Helicopters Inc., began under visual meteorological conditions, but weather conditions worsened significantly during the trip.
As the aircraft approached the Cochrane area, the ceiling dropped to approximately 30 and the pilot attempted to navigate by following a river. Eventually, the pilot moved away from the river to fly directly toward the destination, but lost all outside visual reference due to the poor weather. The aircraft struck the terrain while traveling east, dragging through brush for 418 feet before coming to rest on its side. The pilot, the sole occupant, sustained serious injuries, and the aircraft was destroyed.
The investigation
The investigation examined the pilot's flight planning, weather updates, and the aircraft's mechanical state. While the aircraft had no recorded maintenance deficiencies or engine malfunctions, investigators found that the directional gyro had malfunctioned, rotating 180 degrees from its original setting. This forced the pilot to rely on a portable GPS for heading information.
Regarding weather, the pilot had received a morning briefing, but the forecast was only valid until 1600 EDT. Although a satellite phone was used at the departure point to update the flight plan, no new weather information was requested. Furthermore, the pilot used a GPS feature to calculate sunset, but because the waypoint was set to the departure location rather than the destination, the calculated sunset time was inaccurate by 22 minutes. This error contributed to the pilot flying into the area after nightfall.
Findings
- The pilot continued the flight at night into deteriorating weather, which led to a loss of visual reference and spatial disorientation.
- The pilot departed without checking the most recent weather updates, leaving them unaware that conditions at the destination had fallen below VFR minimums.
- The pilot's reliance on GPS for heading due to a faulty directional gyro likely disrupted their primary instrument scan.
- The pilot lacked a night rating and had not practiced instrument flying for several years, making it difficult to maintain control during the transition to IMC.
- The mounting location of the ELT made it susceptible to damage, causing it to detach from its antenna during the impact.
Safety action
Expedition Helicopters Inc. issued an operational notice to its pilots regarding human factors, decision-making, and adherence to VFR weather minimums. The company also implemented a satellite tracking system to monitor its entire fleet from its Cochrane base.