Pilot injured in wildfire helicopter crash

A contractor helicopter crashed into a lake near 70 Mile House, British Columbia, at about 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 4, while supporting wildfire operations in the Big Bar wildfire complex, according to the BC Wildfire Service. The pilot, who was the only person on board, was taken to hospital with minor injuries, fire information officer Aydan Coray said in statements carried by regional outlets and The Canadian Press. The crash happened in the South Cariboo, where multiple major fires have been burning this week. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada and WorkSafeBC are investigating the incident. ### Where did the helicopter go down? 70 Mile House is the location BC Wildfire Service identified for the crash, saying the aircraft went down over a lake and landed in the water during wildfire operations. Coray said the helicopter was working in the Big Bar wildfire complex when the incident occurred. (castanet.net) The South Cariboo has been one of the province’s most active fire zones. The Canadian Press, citing BC Wildfire Service, said six major fires were burning in the Cariboo region, including the Pear Lake fire, which had grown to more than 1,240 square kilometers. About 120 properties in the 70 Mile House area, not including the Village of Clinton, have suffered structural loss, according to reports citing provincial wildfire officials. (cfjctoday.com) ### Who was on board and how badly were they hurt? Aydan Coray said the pilot was the only occupant of the helicopter at the time of the crash. Coray told local media the pilot was transported to hospital with minor injuries. BC Wildfire Service did not identify the pilot in the public statements reviewed. (lethbridgeherald.com) Minor injuries were the only condition information released publicly on Aug. 5. Reports based on the BC Wildfire Service statement did not describe the pilot’s hospital location or say whether the pilot had been discharged. ### What has BC Wildfire Service said about how it happened? The BC Wildfire Service said only that the aircraft “went down over a lake” during operations in the Big Bar wildfire complex. (ominecaexpress.com) Coray did not provide further details on the cause in the statements reported by regional outlets. A contractor was involved, CFJC Today reported after receiving confirmation from the BC Wildfire Service. (castanet.net) Public statements reviewed on Aug. 6 did not name the operator, the helicopter model or registration number. ### Which agencies are investigating the crash? The Transportation Safety Board of Canada and WorkSafeBC are investigating alongside the BC Wildfire Service, according to statements cited by multiple outlets. (cfjctoday.com) That is the formal next step now underway. The Transportation Safety Board says on its aviation investigations index that occurrences can lead to a range of actions, from data gathering to a full published investigation report, depending on what investigators find. (cfjctoday.com) WorkSafeBC says its incident summaries are preliminary and subject to change, though no public summary tied to this crash was identified in the material reviewed. (ca.news.yahoo.com) ### How does this fit into the wider wildfire response in British Columbia? British Columbia’s wildfire response has relied heavily on aircraft this summer, with helicopters used to move crews and drop water on fast-moving fires. CBC reported on Aug. 5 that wildfire officials were also asking boaters on Okanagan Lake to clear the way for firefighting aircraft collecting water for nearby fires. (tsb.gc.ca) The crash near 70 Mile House happened as crews were already dealing with severe fire impacts in the Cariboo. The Pear Lake fire alone had exceeded 1,240 square kilometers as of Aug. 5, according to Canadian Press reporting based on BC Wildfire Service information. Aug. 6 is the latest date on which the crash details reviewed here remained limited to the time, location, the pilot’s injuries and the agencies investigating. (cbc.ca) Any fuller account of the cause is expected to come, if at all, through the Transportation Safety Board’s occurrence record or a later investigation update, with WorkSafeBC and BC Wildfire Service also involved. (ca.news.yahoo.com) (lethbridgeherald.com)