Close X
Saturday, November 23, 2024
ADVT 
National

Military helicopter did not respond as expected before crash: investigators

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 08 Jun, 2020 07:02 PM
  • Military helicopter did not respond as expected before crash: investigators

Flight investigators have determined the military helicopter that crashed off the coast of Greece in April did not respond as the crew on board expected before going down into the Mediterranean Sea.

The finding was in a preliminary investigation report published Monday by the Royal Canadian Air Force, which did not provide a definitive answer for what caused the April 29 crash.

The report instead says investigators will now focus on both the Cyclone helicopter's various systems and what role "human factors" played in the crash. Military officials have previously said the full investigation could take up to a year.

Six members of the Canadian Armed Forces were on board when the Cyclone helicopter went down while deployed with the Halifax-class frigate HMCS Fredericton. All of them were killed.

The crash occurred shortly after the Cyclone, codenamed Stalker 22, flew past the Fredericton while returning from a routine training mission and conducting some additional training, according to the investigation report.

Officials have confirmed it also participated in a photo-op involving the frigate.

It then turned to set up for landing and, according to the report, "during this final complex manoeuvring turn to close with the ship, the aircraft did not respond as the crew would have anticipated.

"This event occurred at a low altitude, was unrecoverable and the aircraft entered a high energy descent and impacted the water astern the ship."

After the crash, the Air Force temporarily grounded the rest of the military's 17 Cyclone helicopters, which only became operational in 2018 after more than a decade of development challenges.

That "operational pause" will continue until a risk assessment on the fleet can be conducted," Air Force commander Lt.-Gen. Al Meinzinger said in a statement.

"With the co-operation of the directorate of flight safety, a team of airworthiness experts are working closely to develop a plan to methodically and safely return the fleet to operations," he said. "This is critical work and we will take the time to do it right."

MORE National ARTICLES

More Arctic politicians join call for RCMP to wear body cameras in Nunavut

More Arctic politicians join call for RCMP to wear body cameras in Nunavut
The mayor of Iqaluit is joining other Arctic leaders calling for RCMP members in Nunavut to wear body cameras.

More Arctic politicians join call for RCMP to wear body cameras in Nunavut

Meng hearing schedule to expand; lawyers ask for 'referee' in case

Meng hearing schedule to expand; lawyers ask for 'referee' in case
Legal arguments at the B.C. Supreme Court in the extradition case of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou may stretch into next year.

Meng hearing schedule to expand; lawyers ask for 'referee' in case

CRA Sets Up Anonymous Snitch Line To Catch CERB & Tax Fraud

CRA Sets Up Anonymous Snitch Line To Catch CERB & Tax Fraud
Beware not to fraud the govt if you have applied for CERB, wage subsidy or other funding programs during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic as the Canada Revenue Agency has you under its watch and you will have to repay the money.

CRA Sets Up Anonymous Snitch Line To Catch CERB & Tax Fraud

Telus dumps Huawei chooses Ericsson and Nokia to build 5G network

Telus dumps Huawei  chooses Ericsson and Nokia to build 5G network
Two major Canadian telecommunication giants said they will build out their next-generation 5G wireless networks with equipment from European providers, dumping China’s Huawei Technologies Co.

Telus dumps Huawei chooses Ericsson and Nokia to build 5G network

Climate change threatens glass sponge reefs unique to Pacific Northwest: study

Climate change threatens glass sponge reefs unique to Pacific Northwest: study
Warming ocean temperatures and acidification caused by climate change are threatening the survival of glass sponge reefs unique to the waters of the Pacific Northwest, a new study from researchers at the University of British Columbia has found.

Climate change threatens glass sponge reefs unique to Pacific Northwest: study

One in three students back in classrooms in British Columbia: minister

One in three students back in classrooms in British Columbia: minister
Education Minister Rob Fleming says about one third of students returned to classrooms in British Columbia yesterday and he expects those numbers to rise.

One in three students back in classrooms in British Columbia: minister