Heli Down South of Timmins, July 23/2010

[Widow]

Helicopter crash kills 2 in northern Ont.
Last Updated: Friday, July 23, 2010 | 5:38 PM ET Comments1Recommend8.
CBC News
Two people were killed in a helicopter crash in northern Ontario, provincial police say.

The crash occurred around 2 p.m. ET on Friday between at Elk Lake and Gowganda, around 200 kilometres south of Timmins.

Members of the Ontario Provincial Police are at the scene of the crash.

Officials with the Transportation Safety Board of Canada are on their way to investigate.

The names of those killed are being withheld pending notification of next of kin.


Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2010/07/ ... z0uYAKHWdj

[Bushav8er]

Sad.

Not to speculate, but the weather in the area today wasn't the greatest. There is a road between the two locations mentioned (east/west). Police say that they do not know where the chopper departed or its destination.

[OhKiE DoHkIe]

Sad.

Not to speculate, but the weather in the area today wasn't the greatest.

"deceptive weather" would be my words...I heard about this crash yesterday whilst in the area. Who knows what really happened. Thoughts to the families.

---------------------------------------------

The following is unrelated to the headline and not meant to speculate on this particular crash:

A couple of things are bugging me from Friday's weather in Suds & Timmins area...

Actually there were a couple of other aircraft in that area caught in it...looking for IFR clearance to land switching from Centre to FSS on the freqs. Made it challenging for the kids @ Navcan. But they did help them with a high level of professionalism as per S.O.P.. Not sure why these VFR pilots would want to continually 'push' it. One pilot on Friday late morning actually said to me @ the FBO in YSB after asking my advice on weather conditions:
"Well I have a hand held GPS unit. It should be fine"

....Then don't phucking ask me if it's wise of you to depart SVFR under these "deceptive weather" conditions.

IMHO there have been a lot of VFR pilots over relying on technology to help them through marginal weather lately. Flying SVFR with low vis and ceilings is like drinking and driving...a cab may cost you 50$ to get home...as would another night in a hotel because of "deceptive weather" conditions. But people love to roll the dice.

Stay safe.

[Bushav8er]

Choppers have lower (weather) limits but at those altitudes they have to be outside the envelope if anything happens. There has been a chopper operating 'regularly' from CYTS south.

[sky's the limit]

Thoughts go out to the families, friends, and co-workers. Heard it may have been two low-timers ferrying a machine, contacted a tower in low wx.... not sure how true that is.

Stay safe out there, this ain't worth dying over.


stl

[Bushav8er]

Right STL. They were heading from North Bay to Kapuskasing, hit a tower. It was my thought given the weather and the location along a road; higher prob of power lines and towers.

[300C]

Ceiling must have been very low - I am familiar with that road. In fact, my grandfather, a civil engineer, designed the original road which was subsequently re-aligned a few years ago. The last time I was there I don't recall any unusually high obstacles such as hydro towers.
In any case, as a former helicopter pilot, I know how easy it is to hit the wrong things.
Condolences to all.

[Bushav8er]

I don't recall any unusually high obstacles such as hydro towers.

It was on the local news with video from the scene. Looked more like a comm tower of some type, had some damage to it. Chopper can down in trees, didn't look like it burned, but only thing you could make out was the tail boom/rotor.

[Jonathan]

Weather detoriated quite rapidly friday morning at CYSB due to a system moving from the south. Unfortunately it's not rare to see VFR pilots flying in these conditions. Fly safe guys... My thoughts are with the families.

[Doc]

One of the lads on board graduated high school last year with my daughter. He was 19.
Why do these operations still insist on pushing weather?
Somebody help me out here, because I just don't understand.
A senseless waste of life. Again. WHY?
I'm gone again.

[AuxBatOn]

EDITED

[Heliian]

A horrible, tragic accident. My condolences to the families. towers are particularily dangerous as the guy wires are nearly invisible until it's too late. It's too early in the investigation to lay blame but i'm sure the TSB will discover where the deficiencies were which led to this happening.

[YQKpilor]

I just graduated high school in Kenora with the youngest, the other being from Yellowknife. Will be waiting for further information on what happened.

[Bushav8er]

http://www.nugget.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2685451

[Brown Bear]

I just graduated high school in Kenora with the youngest, the other being from Yellowknife. Will be waiting for further information on what happened.

Check your PM's

[fish4life]

towers are particularily dangerous as the guy wires are nearly invisible until it's too late. It's too early in the investigation to lay blame but i'm sure the TSB will discover where the deficiencies were which led to this happening.

maybe instead of having lights near the bottom of the tower they should put lights on the guy wires furthest out from the tower... because what looks like a narrow tower may be a few hundred feet wide with the wires included