Close X
Monday, November 25, 2024
ADVT 
National

B.C. helicopter lands safely after being hit by lightning, Helijet says

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 25 Oct, 2023 09:52 AM
  • B.C. helicopter lands safely after being hit by lightning, Helijet says

A commercial helicopter with 14 people on board landed safely in Victoria on Tuesday after it was hit by lightning.

Rick Hill, the vice-president of Helijet, said the aircraft was at about 1,200 metres when it was hit by lightning, the two pilots on board took the chopper down to below the clouds and then landed without trouble in Victoria a few minutes later. 

Hill said such an event is very, very rare, and in his 36 years of experiences, it's only happened twice. 

He said there were no injuries, although he's sure that such an incident would certainly shake up those on board. 

Hill said there was some damage to the aircraft, including the tail rotor, but the two pilots on board did a great job in handling the rare situation. 

"I think they really did a fabulous job and relied on that training and were able to safely bring everybody to their destination," said Hill. 

Hill said staff on the ground spoke to passengers to ensure no one was hurt.

The damaged chopper is now grounded. Pilots will be debriefed and given some time to process this event, he said.

Hill said the company is working with the Transportation Safety Board to determine what happened and assess the damage to the helicopter. 

Environment Canada issued a special weather statement Tuesday covering Greater Victoria and other parts of Vancouver Island, saying between 30 and 50 millimetres of rain was expected

MORE National ARTICLES

B.C. launches 'one-stop shop' for provincial permits needed to build homes

B.C. launches 'one-stop shop' for provincial permits needed to build homes
British Columbia's government is aiming to speed up the construction of new homes and secondary suites by releasing new guides and programs to help streamline the process. Premier David Eby says the new Single Housing Application Service, first promised in January, gives builders a clear understanding of the provincial permits needed to build a house so they don't have to navigate the "maze of the provincial government" on their own. 

B.C. launches 'one-stop shop' for provincial permits needed to build homes

Canada's inflation rate jumps to 4%, making the BoC's next rate decision harder

Canada's inflation rate jumps to 4%, making the BoC's next rate decision harder
Canada's inflation rate jumped to four per cent last month, as economists warn the latest consumer price index report spells bad news for the Bank of Canada.  Statistics Canada released its latest inflation reading on Tuesday, which shows the annual rate rose from 3.3 per cent in July, marking the second consecutive month inflation has risen.

Canada's inflation rate jumps to 4%, making the BoC's next rate decision harder

Climate, development, India top of mind as Trudeau travels to UN General Assembly

Climate, development, India top of mind as Trudeau travels to UN General Assembly
 The day before departing for New York, Trudeau rocked the House of Commons with "credible allegations" linking agents of India's government to the deadly shooting this past June of a Sikh leader in Surrey, B.C.  It's a striking contextual backdrop for the week ahead at the United Nations, a place where aspirational visions of a prosperous and peaceful future often crash headlong into stark political realities. 

Climate, development, India top of mind as Trudeau travels to UN General Assembly

India expels Canadian diplomat after Canada links Indian agents to Sikh leader death

India expels Canadian diplomat after Canada links Indian agents to Sikh leader death
India struck back at Canada early Tuesday after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau linked agents of India's government to the shooting death of a Sikh leader near Vancouver. A statement from India's Ministry of External Affairs says an unnamed senior Canadian diplomat has been asked to leave India within the next five days.

India expels Canadian diplomat after Canada links Indian agents to Sikh leader death

Canada told allies before sharing allegations about India over B.C. killing: Trudeau

Canada told allies before sharing allegations about India over B.C. killing: Trudeau
Trudeau revealed in the House of Commons on Monday that Canadian intelligence services are investigating "credible" information about "a potential link" between India's government and the death of British Columbia Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Trudeau said India's government "needs to take this matter with the utmost seriousness" but would not say whether it is co-operating.

Canada told allies before sharing allegations about India over B.C. killing: Trudeau

Eby 'deeply disturbed' by CSIS briefing on Nijjar killing in Surrey, B.C.

Eby 'deeply disturbed' by CSIS briefing on Nijjar killing in Surrey, B.C.
British Columbia Premier David Eby says he's received a briefing from Canada's spy agency about the "assassination" of Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar and he's "deeply disturbed" by what he was told. He says he's calling on the federal government to share all information related to ongoing foreign interference and "transnational organized crime threats."  

Eby 'deeply disturbed' by CSIS briefing on Nijjar killing in Surrey, B.C.