Helicopter missing near Revelstoke BC

[India Four Two]

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/missing-helicopter-glacier-national-park-1.7076676

This story is being covered by all major Canadian networks and newspapers and yet not one of them apparently bothered to ask the RCAF SAR spokesperson what type is missing.

An unconfirmed report on Facebook mentions a Bell 206.

[malabo]

Mode S, looked it up on Flightradar24 but couldn't find the flight. Waiting for official confirmation before further comment.

crash located, pilot deceased

Lots of questions/lessons learned.

[206Fan]

Unfortunately not good news!

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/helicopter-crash-revelstoke-1.7076956

[206Fan]

Name released!

https://www.speedonthewater.com/former-dcb-company-owner-rob-blair-dies-in-helicopter-accident/

[lelebebbel]

"Officials lost contact with the helicopter at about 8:40 p.m. PT on Friday (https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/missing-helicopter-glacier-national-park-1.7076676), but low-visibility conditions meant aerial resources couldn't be properly deployed until Sunday morning."

If this is accurate then it was pitch dark at the time of the crash. The mountains east of Revelstoke are 10,000ft+ and pretty much unpopulated except for the odd remote heli-ski lodge, a single highway and a set of train tracks.


Edit: from the other news page
"An RCMP spokesperson told CBC News they received a report of a missing helicopter shortly before 7 p.m. PT Friday."

So if the aircraft was reported missing at 7pm, the accident likely happened before dusk.

[SASless]

Two questions arise.....

What time was Sun Set that day? It is reported to be 4:08 today thus it sounds as if darkness played a role.

What was the existing weather? The comment about "weather conditions" preventing SAR aircraft responding is also an indicator of how bad the weather was.

From that one can begin to consider what effect that had on visibility.

Put yourself in a 206 in those mountain valleys with night approaching and the weather not being very good, dead of Winter thus really cold, and you can begin to list the possible causes on a few fingers.

We shall have to wait for more definitive information before we can get past the mere speculation stage in this pprune accident investigation.

[rotorfun]

Anyone have a tail number on this?

[206Fan]

Rotorfun,

N617TT

https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/349691

[India Four Two]

What time was Sun Set that day? It is reported to be 4:08 today thus it sounds as if darkness played a role.


On Friday, sunset at Revelstoke was at 1601 PST and the end of Civil Twilight was 1640.