Poor weather, inexperience factors in fatal Quebec helicopter crash, TSB says
The weather, darkness and the pilot's limited experience flying at night were all factors in a fatal helicopter crash near Drummondville last February, according to a report just released by the federal Transportation Safety Board.
The pilot, Jean-Claude Mailhot, and two passengers, Janie Mailhot and Nathalie Desrosiers, were all killed in the crash.
The helicopter took off from Saint-Georges in the Beauce region the evening of Feb. 1, 2018, with the planned destination of Saint-Alexis-de-Montcalm, in the Lanaudière region, about 70 kilometres north of Montreal.
The report says a distress signal from the aircraft was received around 8:30 p.m. An hour later, the fiery wreckage was found in a field in Saint-Joachim-de-Courval, just north of Drummondville, Que.
"The investigation determined that it is highly likely that the pilot encountered unfavourable weather conditions which led to a loss of visual references to the ground, and that he lost control of the helicopter as a result of spatial disorientation," the TSB said in a statement.
Last flew at night 5 months earlier
Mailhot's "limited night flying experience" was cited in the report. He received a night rating on his pilot's licence in October 2006 and had more than 1,000 hours' flying experience, including 56.2 hours flying at night.
The report says Mailhot had last flown at night about five months before the crash.
"It is likely that the pilot did not have the skills needed to handle a significant reduction in visual references to the ground," the report says.
Visibility that night was further reduced by blowing snow and possible frost on the helicopter's windshield, the report says.
The report says that there is no sign that fatigue or any other "physiological factors" played a role in the crash, and it appears the helicopter was functioning properly.
The victims were well-known in Saint-Alexis-de-Montcalm. Both Mailhot and Desrosiers owned businesses in the region.
