Air transportation safety investigation A23O0108
The TSB has completed this investigation. The report was published on 28 March 2024.
Table of contents
Ground personnel entanglement with external load
G4 Drilling Canada Ltd.
and
Expedition Helicopters Inc.
Airbus Helicopters AS350 BA, C-FHAU
Wawa, Ontario, 25 NM W
The occurrence
On , an Expedition Helicopters AS-350 BA helicopter was conducting external load operations near Wawa, Ontario, in support of a mining operation.
The helicopter was positioning an external load attached by a long line onto a platform with the assistance of several ground crew members. During the positioning of the load, unbeknownst to the pilot, one of the ground crew members became entangled in the external load, and subsequently fell while the helicopter was being manoeuvred.
The ground crew member was fatally injured; there were no other injuries. The helicopter was not damaged.
Media materials
News release
Investigation report: Ground crew member fatally injured during helicopter external load operations near Wawa, Ontario
Read the news release
Investigation information
Map showing the location of the occurrence
Investigator-in-Charge
Jean-Pierre (Jeep) Régnier is a senior investigator, Standards and Quality Assurance, with the Air Investigations Branch at the TSB head office in Gatineau. He has over 30 years of aviation experience, including 27 years in military aviation in the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) as an officer and a helicopter pilot. During those 27 years in the RCAF, he worked as an accident investigator for 5 years. Mr. Régnier gained his flight experience on the CH-124 Sea King and Bell 206 Jet Ranger helicopters. He earned a master’s degree in safety and accident investigation from Cranfield University, United Kingdom, and joined the TSB in 2015.
Class of investigation
This is a class 4 investigation. These investigations are limited in scope, and while the final reports may contain limited analysis, they do not contain findings or recommendations. Class 4 investigations are generally completed within 220 days. For more information, see the Policy on Occurrence Classification.
TSB investigation process
There are 3 phases to a TSB investigation
- Field phase: a team of investigators examines the occurrence site and wreckage, interviews witnesses and collects pertinent information.
- Examination and analysis phase: the TSB reviews pertinent records, tests components of the wreckage in the lab, determines the sequence of events and identifies safety deficiencies. When safety deficiencies are suspected or confirmed, the TSB advises the appropriate authority without waiting until publication of the final report.
- Report phase: a confidential draft report is approved by the Board and sent to persons and corporations who are directly concerned by the report. They then have the opportunity to dispute or correct information they believe to be incorrect. The Board considers all representations before approving the final report, which is subsequently released to the public.
For more information, see our Investigation process page.
The TSB is an independent agency that investigates air, marine, pipeline, and rail 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.