What happened
On 10 July 2019, a Robinson R44 helicopter, registered as C-FJLH, departed from Lac de la Bidière, Quebec, bound for Sainte-Sophie, Quebec. The aircraft was operating under day visual flight rules with one pilot and one passenger on board. The flight never reached its intended destination.
The aircraft was reported missing to the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Trenton, Ontario, at 1158 Eastern Daylight Time on 11 July 2019. During the initial stages of the search, no signals were detected from the aircraft's emergency locator transmitter. A large-scale search operation followed, involving the Canadian Armed Forces, the Sûreté du Québec, the Canadian Coast Guard, and various volunteer air search and rescue groups across Quebec and Ontario. Ground and water searches were also conducted.
On 25 July 2019, 14 days after the initial report, the wreckage was located in a forested region near Lac Valtrie, Quebec. The impact destroyed the aircraft, though no fire was present at the scene. Both the pilot and the passenger were found dead.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the circumstances leading to the disappearance and the subsequent discovery of the wreckage. Investigators examined the flight path, the search efforts, and the condition of the aircraft upon discovery.