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 The twisted wreckage of a Canadian Helicopters Bell 212 that crashed 150 km south of Taloyoak, Oct. 30, was a dramatic sight. The pilot was killed, but the co-pilot and three passengers survived. - photo courtesy of Const. Keith Hendricks, RCMP Taloyoak |
The pilot, Jack Bhanwer, died in the crash.
Co-pilot Jack Kaufman survived, along with the three passengers on board who work for Nasittuq Corp.
They were on contract to operate and maintain radar sites for the Department of National Defence North Warning System.
Investigators say it was a short flight before the fatal crash.
"They lifted off, it moved back, it moved forward, then it went down. It was a brief flight, actually," said Peter Hildebrand, regional manager for the Transportation Safety Board (TSB), which is looking into the cause of the crash.
One survivor suffered two broken ankles. Another also had a broken ankle, while most had cuts and bruises. But two of them managed to walk about 200 metres from the crash site and call for help from a building at the DEW Line site, said Const. Keith Hendricks of the Taloyoak RCMP detachment.
Weather in Taloyoak was clear Saturday, but heavy snow and wind picked up and delayed rescue workers trying to reach the men.
On Saturday night, search and rescue technicians from CFB Winnipeg parachuted from a Hercules aircraft to the crash site. They offered emergency First Aid and assistance and recovered Bhanwer's body from the twisted wreckage.
They waited out a storm at the DEW Line site until the following day, and were taken by helicopter to hospital in Winnipeg.
The housing authority in Taloyoak built a coffin for Bhanwer's body to be shipped back south, said Taloyoak SAO Scotty Edgerton.
Veteran pilot
Bob Heighington, vice-president of operations for Canadian Helicopters West, said Bhanwer was a veteran pilot with 20 years flying experience.
"It's a great shock to all of us," said Heighington. "He was highly capable, an ardent professional. He'll certainly be missed by us."
Bhanwer leaves behind a wife and two young daughters who live near Kamloops, B.C.
The Transportation Safety Board is looking into the crash.
This is the first fatal crash for Canadian Helicopters since 1996.
