What happened
At approximately 12:00 PST, a Westland Helicopters Inc. Bell 206 BIII helicopter, registered as C-GRAH, departed from Houston, British Columbia, on a charter mission. The flight was intended to transport four passengers and their gear to a ski cabin located on Mount Morice.
To bypass a layer of fog, the pilot planned to fly northeast, using the rising terrain of Mount Harry Davis as a visual guide to climb above the low visibility. However, during the maneuver, the aircraft struck a ridge approximately 2.5 miles north of its departure point. The impact resulted in five fatalities, as both the pilot and all passengers died in the crash. The aircraft was destroyed upon impact.
The investigation
Investigators examined the wreckage and technical logs to determine if a mechanical failure played a role. While metallic particles were discovered within the collective servo actuator, testing concluded that any potential interference would have been manageable by the pilot. No evidence of a pre-impact failure of the engine, controls, or instrumentation was found.
The investigation also focused on the environmental conditions. The flight took place in marginal visual meteorological conditions, with visibility reduced to a few hundred feet due to dense fog. Investigators noted that the pilot was flying near the aircraft's maximum weight, which limited the power margin available for climbing. Additionally, factors such as potential whiteout conditions from snow-covered terrain or condensation on the windscreen may have further obscured the pilot's view.
Findings
- The pilot most likely lost the visual cues necessary to maintain flight in visual meteorological conditions while attempting to use rising terrain as a reference.
- The pilot's decision to use terrain as a visual guide under existing visibility conditions contributed to the accident.
- The aircraft was operating in a high-performance regime near its weight limits, which restricted the ability to climb effectively.
- The pilot was not trained or qualified for flight in instrument meteorological conditions, making the transition from visual to instrument flight highly hazardous.