A pilot and three firefighters were left shaken, but not seriously injured, when a helicopter went down while working the Verdant Creek wildfire in Kootenay National Park last week.
Officials refer to the Aug. 24 incident as a “hard landing,” noting the pilot managed to land the Mustang Helicopters’ A-Star B2 machine on its skids, although there was extensive damage. The tail boom was reportedly ripped off.
The incident was reported to the Transportation Safety Board of Canada and RCMP.
“We’re still gathering some information,” said Eric Collard, spokesperson for the Transportation Safety Board. “There were no apparent injuries. Apparently, there was substantial damage to the helicopter.”
Parks Canada contracted the helicopter from Mustang Helicopters to help with fire fighting operations on the Verdant Creek blaze, a lightning-sparked fire that is now 15,500 hectares in size in Kootenay and neighbouring Assiniboine Provincial Park.
Officials with Parks say the helicopter was transporting three firefighters – all Parks Canada employees based in national parks elsewhere – to the Simpson River drainage after taking off from Kootenay Crossing.
“No one – neither the pilot or fire crews – in the helicopter was seriously injured,” said Dwight Bourdin, Parks Canada’s acting resource conservation manager for Lake Louise, Yoho and Kootenay field unit.
“They were taken to Banff Mineral Springs Hospital, assessed and released. Everybody was looked over by the doctors.”
Bourdin said the Transportation Safety Board and RCMP were immediately notified.
He said he has seen a photo that showed the tail boom appeared to be have been ripped off.
“I’m not sure what occurred. I don’t know any other details,” said Bourdin. “Our main concern was safety of the crews and the pilot.”
A spokesperson for Mustang Helicopters could not be reached for comment at press time.
