Investigation finds ‘dynamic rollover’ induced lethal chopper crash in Nunavut

Key takeaways: 

• The report says crash emphasizes the requirement for pilots to stay alert at their flight controls.
• A deadly helicopter crash at a drill site. 

Helicopter crash at the drill site near Hope Bay: 

An analysis has found that a deadly helicopter crash at a drill site close to the Hope Bay gold mine earlier in September happened after the pilot let go of the flight controls and bent out to check the tail.

The helicopter hit on Sept. 14 at an investigation drilling site 13 kilometers away from the Hope Bay mine. The mine is approximately 125 kilometers southwest of Cambridge Bay.

The crash killed a 42-year-old worker who was on the ground. The pilot was not hurt.

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada gave its final report on the crash Wednesday. 

The report doesn’t make suggestions or find fault, but it does lay out the facts to stop future safety problems.

The report says the chopper experienced a “dynamic rollover” when it crashed on Sept. 14. 

Also read: Nunavut government approves another $22M in airline subsidy

That kind of rollover happens when the helicopter is at an angle and begins turning around one of its landing gear instead of its center of gravity.

It doesn’t take much for the roll to become indestructible; the report says — only an average angle of 15 to 17 degrees.

Weight on the right

The helicopter was doing a string of flights that day to carry people and supplies to the Hope Bay mine site.

While the helicopter’s weight and balance weren’t off when it crashed, both the pilot and a cargo basket were on the right flank of the machine — the direction it moved. There was also a wind coming from the left.

The statement stated that the ground the helicopter landed on that day was rough.

Source – cbc.ca