Investigators release findings into tragic helicopter death near Wawa

The Transportation Safety Board has released its report into an incident last summer near Wawa that resulted in the death of a ground crew member who got tangled in a helicopter tow line. The report shows a similar but non-fatal incident occurred with the same helicopter about a week before the tragedy.

Two days before the fatal incident on Aug. 20, 2023, the same helicopter and ground crew were conducting a drill move using a cage attached to the craft by lines at a different drill site when a helper was entangled in one of the rigging lines. On the day of the fatality, the pilot was unsuccessfully attempting to lower the cage starting at about 5 p.m. before telling the ground crew by radio that he needed to refuel. For reasons unknown to investigators, that message was not heard by the ground crew.

As the helicopter lifted into the sky, unbeknownst to the pilot, the assistant foreman became entangled in the lines. "However, the radio call was made in French, and given that the pilot did not understand French, he could not understand what was being said," said the report. "The pilot departed the area and climbed to approximately 200 to 300 feet above ground level over the nearby lake."

A search found assistant foreman on land in a forested area across the lake from the site. He had been fatally injured.

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