What happened
On an outbound private visual flight rules flight from the Héli-Boréal facility, located approximately 7 nautical miles northwest of the Sept-Îles Airport, an Airbus Helicopters AS350 B2 encountered sudden icing on its windshield during the takeoff phase.
In response to the loss of visibility caused by the ice, the pilot initiated a descent toward the frozen surface of Baie des Sept Îles to perform an emergency landing. During this maneuver, the aircraft made contact with the frozen surface while still in motion. The impact caused the helicopter to roll over onto its side.
Both the pilot and the passenger successfully evacuated the aircraft without difficulty and were subsequently transported to a hospital in Sept-Îles. The aircraft was destroyed in the accident.
The investigation
The TSB conducted a class 4 investigation into the event, focusing on the sequence of events leading to the contact with the frozen surface and the environmental conditions present during the departure from the Héli-Boréal facility.