What happened
On the evening of January 1, 2021, a Robinson R44 Raven II helicopter, registered as C-FBGT, departed from a farm located 6 nautical miles south of the Eaglesham/Delta Tango Field Aerodrome in Alberta. The aircraft was conducting a night flight under visual flight rules (VFR) toward DeBolt, Alberta, which was situated roughly 30 nautical miles to the south-southwest. The flight was carrying a pilot and three passengers.
Shortly after departure, at approximately 19:54 Mountain Standard Time, the helicopter struck terrain approximately 10 nautical miles southwest of Eaglesham. The impact resulted in the total destruction of the aircraft and a post-impact fire. All four occupants sustained fatal injuries. Following the crash, an emergency locator transmitter signal was detected by the search and rescue satellite system.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the circumstances leading to the collision with terrain during the night flight. Investigators examined the flight path, the weather conditions present at the time of the accident, and the operational environment near the Eaglesham area.