Helicopter Missing - Baffin Island

[sky's the limit]

By CBC News, cbc.ca, Updated: August 17, 2010 11:31 AM
Helicopter missing in Arctic

A military search is underway for a helicopter that has been missing in Nunavut's High Arctic since Monday afternoon.

The Bell 206L aircraft, operated by Newfoundland and Labrador-based Universal Helicopters, was on its way from Clyde River to Pond Inlet, located on the northern tip of Baffin Island. One pilot is believed to be on board.

The helicopter's last known position was somewhere northwest of Clyde River. Search officials say they did not receive any distress call or emergency beacon signal from the aircraft.

"We're going to concentrate on the last known position … based on the satellite tracking system that the aircraft was equipped with," Capt. Wayne Sinker of the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Trenton, Ont., told CBC News on Tuesday morning.

"We will then also expand it to cover the whole track between Clyde River and Pond Inlet, if need be."

Pond Inlet is about 400 kilometres northwest of Clyde River.

Officials with Universal Helicopters in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, N.L., have confirmed that their aircraft is missing.

Poor visibility

Poor visibility is hampering search efforts to date, even though hundreds of troops and aircraft are in the region for Operation Nanook, the Canadian Forces' annual Arctic sovereignty exercise.

Sinker said to date, only ships have been able to reach the search area.

"The latest report we had from the ship that's on scene, it was a half-a-mile visibility, which … is extremely low," he said, adding that there are also icebergs in the area.

"Not very good search conditions at the moment," he said.

As soon as the weather clears, a number of Hercules, Aurora and Twin Otter aircraft will join search efforts, Sinker said

[Widow]

Hoping for a positive outcome.

[Changes in Latitudes]

That is some pretty unforgiving terrain along that track, however, the time of year will work in the pilot's favour. Let's hope he's sitting on the ground with a busted/missing sat phone.

[ettw]

"Let's hope he's sitting on the ground with a busted/missing sat phone." Or she.

Hoping you're right CIL.

ETTW

[sky's the limit]

Not looking good.

stl


http://www.cbc.ca/canada/north/story/20 ... earch.html

Debris found in search for missing helicopter
Last Updated: Tuesday, August 17, 2010 | 11:25 PM CST Comments14Recommend60
CBC News
An aircraft operated by Universal Helicopters Newfoundland Ltd. Officials with the Happy Valley-Goose Bay, N.L., company confirmed Tuesday that one of its pilots is missing in Nunavut. (Universal Helicopters)
Debris has been discovered near the area where a Newfoundland and Labrador helicopter went missing in Nunavut's High Arctic.

Naval Lieut. David Lavallee, a Canadian Forces spokesman, said there has been no confirmation on what kind of debris was found Tuesday evening.

He said that the debris was discovered in the Sam Ford Fjord area of Baffin Island, the last known position of the Bell 206L helicopter. Lavallee said it was spotted by a Canadian Coast Guard helicopter.

But bad weather has delayed the search, he said.

Military ships had earlier been searching for the helicopter, which has been missing since Monday afternoon.

One pilot is believed to be aboard the aircraft, operated by Universal Helicopters Newfoundland Ltd. of Happy Valley-Goose Bay, N.L.

'Very hopeful' pilot will be found

The helicopter was on its way to Pond Inlet, located on the northern tip of Baffin Island, from Clyde River, about 400 kilometres to the northwest.

Its last known position was somewhere northwest of Clyde River, according to satellite tracking equipment aboard the aircraft.

"Weather is very poor … around the area where he was last reported," said Norm Noseworthy, Universal Helicopters' executive vice-president. "We're very hopeful that he's just sitting there waiting for the weather to clear, and he'll be in contact with us."

The pilot's name has not been released. Noseworthy said the man is usually based in Halifax and has years of flying experience.

Poor visibility

Capt. Wayne Sinker of the Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Trenton, Ont. said earlier that search officials did not receive any distress call or emergency beacon signal from the helicopter before it disappeared.
Poor visibility has hampered search efforts to date, even though hundreds of troops and aircraft are in the region for Operation Nanook, the Canadian Forces' annual Arctic sovereignty exercise.



Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/north/story/20 ... z0wy6i0iy9

[armchair]

update... not good

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/north/story/20 ... earch.html

The pilot of a helicopter that went missing along the coast of Baffin Island this week is no longer believed to be alive, according to search officials.

Members of the Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre at CFB Trenton, Ont., told CBC News late Wednesday that they have changed their search to a recovery operation, meaning they are no longer searching for a survivor.

On Wednesday morning, searchers found the wreckage of the Bell 206 Longranger helicopter that disappeared Monday between Clyde River and Pond Inlet, located on the eastern and northern coasts of Baffin Island in Nunavut.

A Halifax-based male pilot was in the helicopter, which is owned by Universal Helicopters Newfoundland Ltd. of Happy Valley-Goose Bay, N.L.

Life raft not deployed

A search official said there is little chance of finding the pilot alive at this point, given the water temperature in the area — about 6 C — and the fact that searchers found an unused life raft in the wreckage.

Parts of the helicopter's fuselage, fuel tank and tail were found by searchers aboard the Canadian Coast Guard icebreaker Des Groseilliers at Sam Ford Trough about 8 a.m. ET on Wednesday.

Searchers from the coast guard and the Canadian Rangers spent the day recovering the pieces of wreckage and loading them aboard the icebreaker, as well as searching along the shoreline for the pilot.

The pilot's name has not been released. Staff at Universal Helicopters said he has more than 15 years of experience, including three summers of working on contract with the Newfoundland and Labrador-based company.

Universal Helicopters president Geoff Goodyear said Wednesday that staff at the close-knit company are saddened by the tragedy.

Search officials say they will review the case later Wednesday or Thursday, but added they will likely pass on the case to the RCMP on Thursday



Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/north/story/20 ... z0x1HbwBdE

[sky's the limit]

My best to Geoff Goodyear and all the good people at Universal, and of course the family and friends of the pilot. My stomach turns every time I hear we've lost another for a few minerals or some burning trees....

stl

[OceansEdge]

My best to Geoff Goodyear and all the good people at Universal, and of course the family and friends of the pilot. My stomach turns every time I hear we've lost another for a few minerals or some burning trees....

stl

Amen

[snoopy]

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/north/story/20 ... -body.html

Baffin Island crash pilot may never be found
Last Updated: Monday, August 23, 2010 | 12:39 PM CST Comments7Recommend18

CBC News

The body of a Halifax-based pilot whose helicopter crashed near Baffin Island last week may never be recovered, according to police.

RCMP in Clyde River, Nunavut, have taken over the case of the missing pilot, after the wreckage of his helicopter was found Aug. 18 along the eastern coast of Baffin Island.

The Bell 206 LongRanger disappeared somewhere between Clyde River and Pond Inlet on Aug. 16. A marine and ground search ensued until parts of the aircraft's fuselage, fuel tank and tail were found in the waters of a fiord just off the island coast.

Clyde River RCMP Staff Sgt. Stephen Bergerman told CBC News that police currently have no plans to visit the remote site of the downed helicopter.

"We've recovered everything we can at the site and nothing else has been located," Bergerman told CBC News.

"With the elements of the North, and the winds and the ice and the ocean, it's a definite challenge for anyone."

Since no body has been found, the pilot is being registered with the RCMP as a missing person, Bergerman said.

The helicopter was operated by Universal Helicopters Newfoundland Ltd. of Happy Valley-Goose Bay, N.L.

The pilot's family have asked that his name not be released. Officials with Universal Helicopters have said the man was usually based in Halifax and had about 15 years of flying experience.

The federal Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash. The helicopter wreckage has since been collected and will be analyzed as part of the investigation.