|
Ornge helicopter crash
Ornge helicopter crashes in northern Ontario | Globalnews.ca
TORONTO – A search and rescue mission is underway after an Ornge air ambulance helicopter crashed shortly after takeoff in northern Ontario Friday morning. The helicopter, en route to Attawapiskat, departed from Moosonee at approximately 12:00 a.m. Contact was lost with the aircraft shortly after takeoff, Ornge said in a statement. Two pilots and two paramedics were onboard at the time of the incident. A search and rescue team dispatched from CFB Trenton located the downed aircraft in the Moosonee area. No further information is available regarding the status of the crew members on board, or the aircraft. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada has been notified. skadi |
RIP!
Four people confirmed dead in Ornge helicopter crash near Moosonee, Ont. - Winnipeg Free Press MOOSONEE, Ont. - Ontario's air ambulance service is confirming four of its staff are dead after one of its helicopters crashed in a remote area of northern Ontario early this morning. The Ornge air ambulance service is expressing "deep regret" in its statement that no one survived the accident near Moosonee. "Everybody at Ornge is deeply saddened by this tragic incident, and our hearts go out to the families and friends of those who lost their lives," Dr. Andrew McCallum, president and CEO of Ornge, said in the statement this morning. "We will do whatever we can to support them at this difficult time. We will also co-operate fully with the authorities charged with investigating the accident." Ornge said two pilots and two paramedics were on board the aircraft, but no patients. It said the family members of those who were on board have been notified. The air ambulance service said the Sikorsky S76 helicopter left its base in Moosonee en route to Attawapiskat at about midnight and contact was lost with the aircraft shortly after takeoff. Provincial police in North Bay said they called in military rescue crews, who parachuted down to the "very remote bush area" where the chopper went down. Christian Cafiti, a spokesman at the Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre at CFB Trenton says the helicopter crash site near Moosonee was located this morning and confirms there were no survivors. Premier Kathleen Wynne said she was "devastated" to learn of the fatal crash. "The pilots and paramedics of Ornge provide lifesaving services in every region of this province, and my thoughts and prayers are with the friends and families of these brave individuals," she said in a statement. "They lost their lives ensuring the people of this province receive the help they need. Their service and sacrifice will be honoured and remembered." It wasn't immediately clear what caused the crash. The Transportation Safety Board has been notified and will be investigating. Further details are expected to be released at a media conference to be held later today. |
Any indication of cause factors?
|
Ornge helicopter crash
RIP
Very saddened to hear this news this morning. I know all the Moosenee crews very well. Was up there working alongside them only last month, our Moosenee base is next door to Ornge. Thinking of families and all at Moose base. Very sorry for your loss. |
:(
Arcal76 is flying for them, hope that he's well ! . |
Ornge helicopter crash
RIP
The newspaper mentioned the helicopter departed at midnight so it was a night flight. It does not mention if it was a night VFR or IFR flight. The article mentions it was a S-76. My thoughts for the families. |
|
Ornge helicopter crash
Don't quote me, but I heard maybe an onboard fire.
|
Did the investigators confirm the In-Flight fire on the Oklahoma Crash or was that just a bogus report by an ernest witness?
|
It is a very sad day for us!!
For those who are worried about me, I am OK since I am not based in Moosonee and I fly the 139. But I worked there and know the place well.
It is very sad for us and we now have to wait to determine what's happened. The aircraft went down just after take-off runway 06, 2 SM from the runway. We don't know more. We do not do IFR flight because we do not have alternate, but as soon you take-off at night from the runway, it is dark, dark, dark and it is an instrument flight, it is worst when it rains. So, no speculation until we get information's please. |
Names of those killed and some general information about the flight.
4 Ornge helicopter crash victims ID'd as from Ontario, Quebec - Sudbury - CBC News |
NVGs?
Are they an NVG program?
|
No NVG, and that isn't how night VFR works in Canada. You lay out night routes the same as IFR routes, but with lower terrain clearance, and narrower corridors, which matters not in these days of GPS. Pretty flat at Moosonee. You'd punch in the verified and stored route to Attawapiskat into the Garmin 530 (dual install on the S76), takeoff, climb to altitude, and then wait till you got there, if visual with the lights then line up with the pad and land. None of this stooging around trying to maintain visual contact even with NVG. Nothing there to stay visual on anyway.
Weather shouldn't have been a problem, viz was reported as 10 miles in light rain, but you've got good gear, two pilots, planned safe route, redundant navigation. As Arcal76 points out, it isn't an inadvertent IMC situation, you don't expect to be able to see anything after takeoff so you fly it like IFR. .7 miles from takeoff would be just a little over 30 seconds after lifting. |
Like IFR but without Alternates but not IFR although flying on Instruments the whole way....no NVG's....interesting concept. Very similar to Night VFR over unlit areas of the USA....less the NVG's as pretty commonly used down South.
What kind of Instrument Approaches available in the area mentioned? Would having NVG's be an improvement? |
Thanks for the insight into the night operations.
|
Both Moosonee and Attawapiskat have conventional (NDB/VOR) and RNAV/GNSS approaches, lights on the runway. MOCA is only 1400', 120nm run. Not much difference night VFR or IFR if the ceiling is half reasonable. Would NVG help? Maybe if the crew couldn't keep it right side up on instruments, but that's pretty unlikely given their experience, and they attend the sim at WPB annually. 76 is a pretty sweet IFR platform.
|
Night VFR
Thoughts and prayers are with the families.
Everything really sounds like a CFIT accident so far. Dark night, no reference, accident happened just after departing. The S76's IFR capabilities and equipment don't play a role during this critical part of the flight. Having flown Air Ambulance both for CHL up north and Helijet out west there's nothing to see on these blackhole departures. Rotating into the ink from a towering takeoff and then transitioning to instruments in a nose down attitude with little airspeed and height the margin for error is very small. It's challenging for the most experienced crews. May they all rest in peace........... |
Coming off the end of the moose runway at night and in the **** one of the toughest moments in rotary wing aviation. I don't have the balls to do it any more and definitely not in the analogue A model 76. Guys flying up there are well lead and developed up to Captain - it's not a workplace that tolerates failure and I'm sorry for the families and for all the ornge crews. There is no better IFR/NVFR operation on planet earth.
|
This tragic accident hits far too close to home. No anonymous internet condolences from me, but I am saddened to see more families touched by tragedy in our industry. Every person we lose is too many.
=============== CADORS: Report I can't recall what avionics and autopilot fit IMY had installed. What I do recall, the 76A's had a large variance from phase II/III up to fully coupled Sperry AP's with little standardization. As a quick read through this thread already reveals, not everyone has the same idea of what kit was onboard. Malabo, I do not recall any of those machines having dual 530's. Has the fit been improved that much over the last few years? =============== SAS, I would say that in the northern bases, NVG would be more helpful than the south. A lot more of the areas lacking cultural lighting so even a very high overcast can reduce ground references to essentially zero. It is also seasonal as in the northern summer, dark becomes more relative and shorter. It's not the arctic circle by any means, but better. That operation does not do 'scene calls' (unprepared sites) at night, only airports and approved helipads. The province of Ontario has for many years created a very good infrastructure to support the EMS operations. Dispatch is integrated with all other ambulance resources: airplane, helicopter, land vehicles, etc. A very good system. |
Having a fully slaved three or four axis Autopilot sure makes for a better situation than the mixed bag of Phase II/III non-Slaved SAS system that the early A's came out with. The mixed bag/non-standard Cockpit situation is also an extra burden that need not be tolerated.
Look back to the Air Methods Bell 412 Crash at Bluefield WV, for why that is so important. Four Fatalities in that one too. That was the Winston-Salem Baptist Hospital Crash that I am thinking of that had that as a significant finding. |
As I said, I've been gone some years, so I'm looking forward to finding out if the situation is the same or has changed about the variable fits.
I agree about the increased risk of those fleets. |
My most heartfelt condolences to the ORNGE community.
|
My thoughts and condolences to the community at ORNGE and the families and loved ones of those who perished on their way to make a difference to other lives and other families.
R.I.P. |
Here's a list of C-GIMY's equipment from an (undated) sales brochure:
International Aviation Marketing Ltd. : s76a sn 760055 (Duplicated here in case it goes offline): Equipment List IFR Complete EMS Interior One Sliding and One Hinged Door Main Rotor Brake Dual Controls Heated Glass Windshield Two (2) Controllable Search Lights Engine Inlet Snow Protector Emergency Floats Bleed Air Cabin Heating System Pulselight Recognition Lights Tail Strobe Light Avionics Phase II DAFCS Bendix/King KLN 900 GPS Shadin F/ADC 200 Air Data Computer Dual Astronautics RD650H ADI King KDF 605 ADF King DME KNR 630 King KRA 405 Rad Alt Bendix RS 611 Color Weather Radar Dual King KTA 905 Comms Dual Sandel EHSI SN3380 Collins VHF-20 Comm King KNR 630 Nav MD 4300-412 Standby Altitude Indicator Dual NAT N301A-519 Audio Panels King KXP 755 Transponder Penny & Giles Flight Recorder D51615-102 Pointer 4000 ELT NAT VHF-FM Comm NTX138 NAT UHF-FM Comm NT450 3 x NAT AA95-705 ICS Iridium Sat Phone/Flight Tracking S200-011 And a TSB photo of the accident site: Aerial view of the Ornge helicopter accident site in Moosonee, Ontario | Flickr - Photo Sharing! http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5457/8...cd056712_c.jpg Seems incredible an S76 can cut such a swath through the trees. |
Night departures
Night departures with no ambient lighting in the vicinity, no visual cues, no horizon means you are relying on instrumentation and a procedure (power settings, attitude changes) from hover to initial forward acceleration then when a climb is established usually a slight change to pitch followed by close monitoring the instruments by both Pilots not distracted by anybody or anything until a positive rate of climb is established and airspeed is alive. Never easy and never assumed.
Below "min IMC" speed the $64 question is this.....if the aircraft is not certified for instrument flight below a certain speed (because its "behavioral aspects" are usually sloppy at slow speed), and the conditions as described above are applicable, where does that leave the Pilot flying? This is not to assume anything regards this CFIT accident. I just pose the question. Thoughts are with the families and crews of this one. Night departures without enhanced vision (read usually NVG's) leaves the crew without a key human sensor "enabled/active".....looking into the night. I humbly suggest NVG's would be a big advantage in these departures, as well in an emergency during flight en route. |
Ornge
It is a sad day for all in aviation and health care haven lost dear friends. My prayers and thought go out to the families.
|
RIP
Shocked to loose Aviator Brothers again, this way & in such big sophisticated twin :confused:
Heartfelt condolences to the surviving Family & Friends Om |
"Swath through the trees"
"Seems incredible an S76 can cut such a swath through the trees."
Just my opinion but I think that you will find that the "swath through the trees" is actually a bulldozer track cut to the actual impact site. Just FYI about the airport Home The Moosonee Airport is located 3 kilometres northwest of the Town of Moosonee and occupies a land area of approximately 212 hectares. The airport serves as a point of call for air carriers offering scheduled passenger service; and services both private and commercial helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft operators located on site. This airport is owned and operated by The Corporation of the Town of Moosonee. The Airport Certificate is held on behalf of the town by the Airport Manager; and is maintained in the Airport Manager's office at Moosonee Airport. Moosonee Airport is operational 24 hours per day, 7 days per week; and is capable of supporting both VFR and IFR operations. The critical aircraft for the primary runway is the HS748. The manoeuvring area consists of two intersecting runways two taxiways, and a public apron. The primary runway (06-24) is 3999 feet long by 100 feet wide asphalt. The secondary runway (14-32) is 3500 feet (approximately half paved and half gravel) by 100 feet wide. Moosonee Airport has operational staff on site 10 hours per day, Monday to Friday, excluding statutory holidays. Normal working hours are 7:00 am to 5:00 pm local time Monday to Friday. NavCanada maintains a Flight Service Station (FSS) located at the Timmins Airport, operating 07:00 - 21:00 - 7 days per week. As part of the Letter of Agreement with NavCanada, FSS personnel refer requests for authorization to the Airport Manager or his designate if there is any requirement for special procedures or conditions on the airport. FSS authorities and/or procedures are also identified in the Emergency Response Plan. Call-out procedures have been established for services outside of regular working hours. A call out list has been established and posted with the Flight Service Station. The maintenance person on duty has been delegated all necessary authorities to act on behalf of the Airport Manager in his/her absence. |
TSB finished site exam
The swath of trees cleared is apparently from the S-76 (405 metres x 125 metres)
ORNGE helicopter crash: Transportation Safety Board finishes examining crash site | Toronto Star MOOSONEE, ONT.—Transportation Safety Board of Canada investigators have finished examining the site of an ORNGE helicopter crash in Moosonee, Ont., that claimed the lives of all four crew members on board. Investigators plan to take their notes, pictures and video back to labs in Ottawa and Toronto, where they will piece together exactly how and why an experienced crew crashed only 850 metres from where the chopper took off early Friday. They’ve also recovered the helicopter’s cockpit voice recorder, a rectangular, orange box that starts recording audio as soon as power is turned on in a helicopter. It’s been sent to Ottawa for analysis. “We’re fairly confident if there is a good recording, if it’s operating and functional, that we will be able to get something from it,” lead investigator Daryl Collins told the Star. Investigators have pieced together what happened to the chopper that night. They say it took off from the runway, made a left-hand turn, went into some trees and started descending down to the ground fast. The helicopter hit the ground in an area of dense, rough terrain close to the airport, creating a strip of destruction 405 metres wide by 125 metres long from where the plane first hit the ground to where most of the wreckage sits now. The site is littered with debris from trees the helicopter hit on its way down. What isn’t clear is why the chopper crashed. Investigators are trying to figure out if there were mechanical problems with the helicopter, a 33-year-old Sikorsky S-76, or if human error is to blame, for example. According to a statement by ORNGE CEO and president Dr. Andrew McCallum, the weather that night “was adequate for the mission being flown” and the helicopter had been regularly inspected. Another factor investigators are considering is the darkness the helicopter flew into when it took off from the airport. Sky and ground may have blurred into a curtain of darkness, creating a “black hole” effect that could have caused disorientation. Answers to these questions could take up to a year to find, Collins says. In the meantime, a local company will start cleaning up the helicopter wreckage, preserving it all until the Transportation Safety Board investigation is finished. The bodies of pilot Capt. Don Filliter, first officer Jacques Dupuy, and medics Chris Snowball and Dustin Dagenais have been removed from the scene and are being examined. People in Moosonee, a small town of 3,500 on the James Bay coast, rely on air travel to get in and out of town. The community is only accessible from the south by plane and train. ORNGE is also a key component of the town. People rely on the service not only to get to regional hospitals in the case of an emergency, but also as a major employer. In a community where everyone knows everyone else by face, a tragedy like this hits hard. It’s the third devastation in the town in less than a year. The Moosonee Health Centre, the town’s clinic, was destroyed in a fire in December. And many residents had to evacuate their homes due to flooding this past spring. On Saturday night, hundreds gathered for a candlelight vigil on the main street of Moosonee, where you can find the town’s only bank, grocery store, bar and restaurant. Mourners used whatever they could find, from Styrofoam cups to tin plates, to build makeshift candle holders. They then walked along Moosonee’s wet, muddy and potholed roads, holding the candles in memory of the four men who died in the crash. Residents have also been raising money to donate to the victims’ families. “Usually the tragedy is on the outside of the [Emergency Medical Services] world and we are the ones there to help,” John McIntosh, director of James Bay Ambulance, said Saturday. “This time, the tragedy is in the EMS world and it’s the community that’s helping us.” Dagenais lived in the community full-time for five years, making his home across the river in Moose Factory. His friends have set up a trust fund for his wife, Josée Cousineau, and their 10-month-old daughter, Névia. |
"The swath of trees cleared is apparently from the S-76 (405 metres x 125 metres)"
I find it a little mind boggling that an 10500 lbs helicopter could cause the damage shown in the photo. I would understand a helicopter in a slow descent starting to contact/clip tree tops a considerable distance from the impact site but causing a swath like that shown-don't think so. Also the reporter says the swath is 405 Meters wide and 125 long. A misprint I assume. Anyhow it sure looks like a tractor trail to me and I have seen a lot of tractor trails. Notice all the debarked trees on the ground and trees pushed off to the left and right. Of course I could be wrong - I often am. |
405m wide! and 125m long????
What kind of impact was that? Even if they inadvertendly mixed up width with longitude, an S76 could hardly cut a strip of 125m width. Perhaps they were confused with feet and meters? 405 ft long and 125ft wide, that would made sense for me and would still indicate a heavy impact! skadi |
Misprint? Perhaps 40.5m wide? I don't fly one but I think the main rotor blades are 44ft so that makes a disc of about 27m diameter? (a little more due to the head).
|
Misprint? Perhaps 40.5m wide? I don't fly one but I think the main rotor blades are 44ft so that makes a disc of about 27m diameter? (a little more due to the head). skadi |
I'm pretty certain that's not a bulldozer track. That is standing water you see there and at this time of year that would be incredibly soft ground, a cat would leave huge ruts crawling in that stuff.
Disregarding the reported swath numbers (I doubt they are correct) I'm sure that one of you who have worked up there could tell us what the height of the trees are around the airport. I think it might be an illusion created by assuming the trees are larger than they actually are. Regardless, condolences to all who are suffering from this loss........ |
Skadi - thanks.
|
They’ve also recovered the helicopter’s cockpit voice recorder, a rectangular, orange box that starts recording audio as soon as power is turned on in a helicopter. It’s been sent to Ottawa for analysis. Jim |
PHI EMS lost an S-76A a few years ago.....in somewhat similar circumstances (reduced Vis....no Horzion at night).
http://flightsafety.org/hs/hs_mar-apr03.pdf |
Obviously two very inexperienced guys up there. The Captain started in March 2013, the FO in August 2012. The FO's first IFR job and no comments on the Captains S76 or IFR experience, SOP's historically for this base, we put the new guys in the worst base with the hardest flying available and expect miracles.
|
Chairmanoftheboard,
'OBVIOUSLY' you do not have the right facts. The Captain was a high time and highly experienced pilot with many years here in the north or as you put it 'worst base and hardest flying available' (I disagree with the statement as well) Not only did he have alot of experience in the north, both day and night flying he has also been on the 76 and ambulance for years!!!!!!! He was far from a new guy. |
"Seems incredible an S76 can cut such a swath through the trees." |
| All times are GMT. The time now is 20:52. |
Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.