Accident at AYLMER LAKE
Summary
1996-01-17: HU5 HUGHES 500 GREAT SLAVE HELICOPTERS C-FGSU HAD JUST PICKED UP A SURVEY CREW AT A REMOTE SITE AND WAS RETURNING THEM TO THE BASE CAMP. THE WX WAS 1 MILE IN SNOW. HIS ROUTE OF FLIGHT REQUIRED TRANSIT OF A SNOW COVERED LAKE ABOUT 3.5 MILES WIDE. THE PILOT INTENDED TO FOLLOW AN ICE PRESSURE RIDGE FOR VISUAL REFERENCE OVER THE LAKE. HE COULD NOT SEE THE RIDGE WHEN HE LEFT THE SHORE LINE BUT EXPECTED TO PICK IT UP A SHORT DISTANCE OUT. BEFORE HE FOUND THE RIDGE HE GLANCED INTO THE COCKPIT TO CHECK HIS INSTRUMENTS. WHEN HE LOOKED OUT OF THE COCKPIT HE COULD NOT REESTABLISH VISUAL REFERENCE IN THE WHITEOUT CONDITIONS. HE HELD THE CYCLIC NEUTRAL AND LOWERED THE COLLECTIVE TO MINIMIZE THE INEVITABLE IMPACT WITH THE ICE SURFACE. FORWARD SPEED WAS LESS THAN 20 MPH INTO WIND. THE HELICOPTER LANDED HEAVILY LEFT SKID LOW AND ROLLED ONTO ITS LEFT SIED. THE HELICOPTER WAS DESTROYED AS THE BLADES AND TAIL SEPARATED DURING THE CRASH. THERE WERE ONLY MINOR INJURIES TO THE PASSENGERS AND PILOT. SAR WAS ALERTED BY THE COMPANY. COMPANY PERSONNEL ON SNOWMOBILES REACHED THE SURVIVORS IN ABOUT SIX HOURS. TIME = 2030Z. ACTION = TSB.Air1: Air2: Air3: Occurrence: Class: JJCategory: 110 272
Details
CADORS Number | 1994C0026 |
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Occurrence Type | Accident |
Reported By | |
Occurred At | 1994-01-28 - Unknown time |
Day or Night? | |
Fatalities | 0 |
Injuries | |
Aerodrome ID | |
Aerodrome Name | |
Geographic Location | Northwest Territories, Canada, North America, Prairie and Northern Region, AYLMER LAKE |
TSB Occurrence Number | |
TSB Class of Investigation | |
AOR Number | |
Reported By | |
Categories | Other,Controlled flight into or toward terrain |
Events |
Aircraft Details (1 aircraft)
Type | Helicopter
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Canadian Registration | FGSU | Flightaware (Registration) | Flightaware (Tracking) | AvHerald |
Foreign Registration | |
Country of Registration | Canada |
Occurrence Type | Accident |
Owner | GREAT SLAVE HELICOPTERS LTD |
Operator | GREAT SLAVE HELICOPTERS LTD. (4756) Commercial |
Make | HUGHES |
Model | 369E |
Year Built | 1983 |
Engine Type | Turbo shaft |
Engine Make | |
Engine Model | |
Gear Type | |
Private | No |
Amateur Built | No |
Flight Number | |
Flight Rule | |
CARS Subpart | |
Phase of Flight | Cruise |
Damage | Unknown |
Fatalities | 0 |
Injuries | 0 |
Events | Weather - visibility,Collision with terrain |