OTTAWA — Environmental conditions and an undetected descent were factors in last year’s deadly military helicopter crash that claimed the lives of two CAF pilots.
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Released Monday, the report into the June 20, 2023 crash of a CH-147F Chinook helicopter into the Ottawa River, about 4 km from Garrison Petawawa, concluded the aircraft entered into a descent that wasn’t detected by the pilots, prompting a “high energy” impact into the waterway.
“None of the crew members realized the height and/or rate of descent of the aircraft before impact, resulting in a Controlled Flight into Terrain (CFIT) accident,” reads the Department of National Defence report.
“It was concluded that the unperceived acceleration and the environmental conditions that night were key factors that played a role in this accident, contributing to the spatial disorientation experienced by the crew.”
The crash killed Capt. David Domagala, 32, and Capt. Marc Larouche, 53, while the rest of the crew escaped with minor injuries.
On the evening of June 19, the helicopter operating under the callsign HAMMER 31 departed to conduct a four-hour series of night-time training exercises as part of DND’s Tactical First Officer Course.
Garrison Petawawa is about 135 km northwest of Ottawa.
“The two student pilots undergoing training conducted a crew change at the halfway point of the four-hour mission,” the report says. “The instructor pilot and the two flight engineers remained on board for the complete duration of the mission.”
The accident, the report says, occurred after the crew change.
During a turn, the helicopter started to descend, eventually slamming into the river.
“None of the crew members realized the height and/or rate of descent of the aircraft before impact, resulting in a Controlled Flight into Terrain (CFIT) accident,” the report says.
“It was concluded that the unperceived acceleration and the environmental conditions that night were key factors that played a role in this accident, contributing to the spatial disorientation experienced by the crew.”
Among the recommendations stemming from the crash include mandating the use of the Chinook’s Digital Automatic Flight Control System (DAFCS) — an automated flight and hovering control system — when flying under 200 feet (61 metres) at night, and further recommendations “to improve emergency response preparedness.”
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