The fatal crash of a logging helicopter in British Columbia was caused by the helicopter’s rotor system failing mid-flight, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada said.

The board’s final report states that on October 4, 2021, the pilot of the Kaman K-1200 dropped a load of logs into Jervis Bay on B.C.’s South Coast, returned to pick up another load, and then crashed into the water. and it sank.

The K-1200 has rotors on both sides of the fuselage, and investigation revealed that a blade on the left rotor had collided with a blade on the right rotor.

Investigators say a break in one of the plane’s joints caused a “fatigue crack” that propagated during flight until a piece separated, causing sudden vibrations and fluttering of the rotor blades and causing the left pylon structure to fail, causing the wings to strike. .

The final report says the TSB issued an air safety recommendation to Transport Canada in 2023, saying servo flap fractures on Kaman K-1200 helicopters should be further examined after at least two fatal crashes involving fatigue fractures and “catastrophic failure.”

The United States Federal Aviation Administration is responsible for the airworthiness of these helicopters and Canada is satisfied with current manufacturer guidelines regarding continued airworthiness, Transport Canada said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 30, 2024