GATINEAU, QC, Nov. 27, 2012 /CNW/ - The Transportation Safety Board of
Canada (TSB) today released its investigation report (A11W0152) into
the 05 October 2011 crash of a Bell 206B helicopter operated by
Rotorworks Inc. near the Drayton Valley Industrial Airport in Alberta.
The pilot, who was the sole person on board, was on a flight under
visual flight rules (VFR) from Whitecourt, Alberta to the Drayton
Valley Industrial Airport. VFR rules are a set of regulations under
which a pilot operates an aircraft in weather conditions clear enough
to allow the pilot to see the ground and avoid obstructions and other
aircraft. While en route, the pilot encountered instrument weather
conditions and was forced to descend through a cloud layer to land.
Neither the pilot nor the aircraft were certified for instrument
flight. During descent through the clouds, the pilot lost spatial
awareness and did not slow the aircraft's rate of descent prior to
impact with the ground. The pilot was fatally injured and the
helicopter was destroyed. There was no post-impact fire.
Since the accident, all of Rotorworks' pilots have received human
factors and pilot decision-making training. This training is designed
to help pilots become aware of how to better manage risks associated
with flying.
The TSB is an independent agency that investigates marine, pipeline,
railway and aviation transportation occurrences. Its sole aim is the
advancement of transportation safety. It is not the function of the
Board to assign fault or determine civil or criminal liability.
SOURCE: TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD OF CANADA