Bell 206L-1 Crash in Quebec Due to Whiteout Conditions

Flight Details and Accident Sequence On 12 August 1999, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada released its report on a fatal helicopter accident. At 1202 EST, a pilot took off from Dorval Airport, Quebec, in a Bell 206L-1, registration C-GLBH, serial number 45532. The aircraft was operated by Hélicoptère Colibri Inc. The pilot picked up three passengers at a heliport in Laval, Quebec, at 1210 EST and headed toward Lac Kempt, Quebec. Approximately 12 nautical miles southwest of Saint-Michel-des-Saints, the pilot encountered light snow showers that rapidly intensified into moderate snow showers. At about 1300 EST, the pilot lost ground visual contact, became disoriented, and lost control of the aircraft. The helicopter struck the ground in a forest on a mountainside at a high rate of descent and almost zero forward speed. The aircraft was destroyed, and two of the four occupants died. The left rear passenger died immediately, while the right rear passenger died later. The pilot and the left front passenger sustained serious injuries.