3 suffer minor injuries in Nunavut helicopter crash, investigation underway

The Transportation Safety Board (TSB) is investigating a helicopter crash that happened a week ago on Devon Island, Nunavut, injuring three people.

The three people a pilot and two Arctic researchers suffered only minor injuries in the June 28 incident, the TSB said in an emailed statement to Radio-Canada.

The Bell 206L-1 helicopter had taken off from Truelove Inlet on Devon Inlet and crashed on the north side of the Devon Ice Cap. It was under contract to Natural Resources Canada'sPolar Continental Shelf Program (PCSP), according to a statement from the department.

Lyle Whyte, a professor and Canada Research Chair in Polar Microbiology at McGill University, said in an email to Radio-Canada that the two passengers on board the helicopter were scientists with New York-based Honeybee Robotics who he was collaborating with. They were studying microbial life on the ice cap, to develop technology to be used on the icy moons of Saturn and Jupiter.

Whyte said he and three others were to join the two others on the ice cap and were waitingat a base camp atTruelove Inlet when the crash happened, about 30 kilometres away.

"We are extremely grateful that nobody was hurt (except for a few minor cuts and bruises) and lastly we are extremely thankful to the pilot of the helicopter for successfully crash landing the helicopter without injuring anybody," Whytesaid.

The TSB said visibility and flying conditions appeared to be good at the time but then deteriorated as the flight progressed. The pilot reportedly lost visual reference and the aircraft hit the ice and snow-covered ground. The helicopter was destroyed.

Natural Resources Canada said staff from the PCPS sent another aircraft to retrieve the injured people and took them to Resolute Bay, where they were checked out at the local nursing station before returning to the PCPS research station.

"Fortunately, injuries were minor so no further medical evacuation has been immediately necessary.The remaining members at the research site on Devon Island have also returned to PCSP's facility," reads the department's statement.

The TSB says the investigation is ongoing.