Bad day for Blackcomb Helicopters

[RebelCFTQC]

Sounds like this happened Monday Feb 24. Weather was pretty crappy that day but I don't know any details. Happened up Brandywine near Whistler.

[karmutzen]

Looks like 407, maybe C-GFCC. They lost a 206 last summer C-FBFH. Tough luck. Can’t find it reported anywhere.

[RebelCFTQC]

Yes I think it was FCC. Happened monday, I was out sledding and listening to their channel on my radio and they reported a code H which I am guessing means a crash. Some other buddies that were up Brandywine took some pics. Everyone was OK. Sounds like they were helisking.

[MOAB]

Does anyone have any info of who was involved? Trying to see if a friend was on board

[altiplano]

FCC - used to be at Omega years back? Was blue back then IIRC... a nice machine.

I hope everyone was okay.

[Capt. Underpants]

Minor injuries only.

[pelmet]

C-GFCC, a Bell 407 helicopter operated by Blackcomb Helicopters was conducting heli-skiing
operations with 1 pilot and 5 passengers on board in the vicinity of Brandywine Mountain,
approximately 14 nm W of Whistler (CBE9), BC. After transporting a different group of skiers to the
staging area due to deteriorating weather conditions the helicopter returned to the pickup spot on
the mountain to collect 4 heli-ski guests and 1 guide. The pilot and guide reassessed the weather
conditions as favorable to attempt another skiing run. At the top of the ski run the pilot was unable
to approach the staked drop-off location due to reduced visibility and attempted to approach a
nearby, lower altitude location that was not staked. The pilot entered a hover but soon lost visual
reference with the surface due to deteriorating weather conditions and attempted to abort the
landing. During the aborted landing attempt, the helicopter struck the snow-covered terrain, rolled
to the right, and came to rest its right side. The 406 Mhz ELT activated. The guide exited the
helicopter and assisted the 4 passengers with egress. The pilot retrieved the halon fire extinguisher
mounted in the cockpit and extinguished a small post-impact fire located in the engine area. The
heli-skiing guide contacted the company dispatcher using a handheld radio who initiated the
emergency response plan. A company helicopter was unable to access the occurrence site due to
low visibility. The pilot and 5 passengers skied to a lower portion of the mountain where the
company helicopter transported them to the staging area. The guide received minor injuries and
the helicopter was substantially damaged.

I have heard that heliski ops are higher risk than regular helicopter ops. Perhaps easier said than done but to be honest with you...as a passenger, I might just try to avoid going in a heli-skiing flight in marginal/whiteout conditions. I prefer sunny days for skiing anyways, at least above the tree line as you can actually see the hazards ahead of you as compared to the flat light conditions on cloudy/snowy days. But I am a wimpy spring skier who likes nice comfortable temps, 100% soft snow cover, and good vis. Worked out well this year until recently.

[DH82EH]

This could have had an ending that was so much worse.
Thank goodness.

[fish4life]

I think it’s pretty cool / lucky they could ski down to an area for rescue

['97 Tercel]

That'll patch right up

[pelmet]

I have heard that heliski ops are higher risk than regular helicopter ops. Perhaps easier said than done but to be honest with you...as a passenger, I might just try to avoid going in a heli-skiing flight in marginal/whiteout conditions. I prefer sunny days for skiing anyways, at least above the tree line as you can actually see the hazards ahead of you as compared to the flat light conditions on cloudy/snowy days. But I am a wimpy spring skier who likes nice comfortable temps, 100% soft snow cover, and good vis. Worked out well this year until recently.

C-GALH, an Alpine Helicopters Incorporated Bell Textron Canada Limited 206L-3 (Longranger III)
helicopter, was conducting snow safety support for heli-ski operations 21 nautical miles southwest
of Valemount, BC (CAH4), with 1 pilot and 1 ski guide on board. The snow safety support
helicopter supports the primary helicopter that carries the ski guests, establishes landing sites and
ski runs, and assesses snow conditions for the operation.
Prior to takeoff, the pilot and the guide agreed to establish a new landing site to pick up skiers at
the end of a specific ski run. On arrival in the area, the pilot and the guide surveyed the terrain for
an appropriate landing site based on visibility, lighting conditions, reference objects, and profile.
Being a new landing site, there were no reference stakes established. The pilot identified a landing

site immediately right of a convex roll and flew 0.4 nautical miles northwest to set up a south-
southeast approach to the site. The pilot maneuvered the helicopter in a low angle descent with a

slow forward speed in anticipation of whiteout conditions on touchdown. The helicopter skids
contacted the ground - first the left skid and then the right skid - and, as the pilot reduced the
collective input to settle the aircraft, the aircraft leaned to the right. The pilot arrested the collective
reduction. The helicopter was now engulfed in blowing snow with no visibility in the created
whiteout. The aircraft rolled forward and to the right, coming to rest on its right side, perpendicular
to the direction of travel. The main rotor contacted the ground and the engine stopped running
shortly thereafter. The pilot turned off the master power, closed the fuel shutoff valve, and manually
activated the ELT. The pilot and the guide egressed out the front windshield that had partially
broken on impact. The pilot noticed some fuel spilling out of the airframe fuel vent and placed a
plastic bin under the vent to capture it. The helicopter was substantially damaged.
The guide contacted the heli-ski lodge personnel with a handheld FM radio to activate the
emergency response plan and the primary helicopter operating in the area arrived on scene
approximately 5 minutes later. The pilot received minor injuries from the impact and egress. Both
occupants were wearing helmets and four-point safety belts.