What happened
On 19 July 2023, a Bell Textron Inc. 205A-1 helicopter, registered as C-GRUV, was performing aerial firefighting duties in north-central Alberta. Operated by Valhalla Helicopters Inc., the aircraft departed from the Haig Lake firebase under visual flight rules. The mission involved transporting a 150-foot longline with an empty water bucket to a forest fire situated roughly 15 nautical miles northeast of the Peace River Aerodrome.
Shortly after the aircraft left the firebase, the engine failed. The pilot attempted an autorotation to land in a nearby patch of muskeg; however, during this maneuver, the suspended water bucket became caught in trees. At approximately 1s805 Mountain Daylight Time, the helicopter struck the ground in a left-banked, nose-down position. The impact caused substantial damage to the airframe, though no fire occurred after the crash. While the pilot managed to exit the wreckage following the collision, he later succumbed to his injuries.
The investigation
The TSB examined the sequence of events leading from the departure at Haig Lake to the final impact. The investigation focused on the mechanical failure of the engine and the subsequent complications during the emergency landing attempt, specifically the entanglement of the longline equipment with local vegetation.