Occurrence
At 1941 Mountain Standard Time on 01 January 2021, a privately registered Robinson Helicopter Company R44 Raven II helicopter (registration C-FBGT, serial number 13801) departed a farm located 6 nautical miles south of Eaglesham/Delta Tango Field Aerodrome, Alberta. The flight was conducted under night visual flight rules with a destination of DeBolt, Alberta, approximately 30 nautical miles to the south-southwest. The pilot and 3 passengers were on board.
At approximately 1954 Mountain Standard Time, the helicopter collided with terrain 10 nautical miles southwest of Eaglesham, Alberta, which is 25.5 nautical miles northeast of DeBolt. The 4 occupants were fatally injured. The helicopter was destroyed, and a post-impact fire ensued. An emergency locator transmitter signal was received by the search and rescue satellite system.
Investigation
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada conducted a class 3 investigation into this occurrence. Class 3 investigations analyze a small number of safety issues and may result in recommendations, typically completed within 450 days. The investigation's findings attributed the accident to pilot decision making, deteriorating weather, and spatial disorientation.