HeliJet damaged by 'freak' lightning strike between Vancouver, Victoria
A commercial helicopter with 14 people on board landed safely in Victoria Tuesday after it was struck by lightning and damaged in what the company's president is calling a "freak" occurrence.
The HeliJet flight departed Vancouver's harbour at 9:11 a.m. and was midway through its routine traverse from the B.C. mainland to Vancouver Island when the strike occurred, HeliJet president and CEO Daniel Sitnam told CTV News.
Two of the helicopter's four tail rotor blades were shorn from the aircraft as it flew approximately 1,280 metres (4,200 feet) above sea level over the southern Gulf Islands.
Despite the damage, the helicopter landed safely in Victoria and all 12 passengers were medically cleared before departing. The two pilots were also checked over and are physically unharmed, according to the company.
"Both crewmembers are in good shape," Sitnam said. "They're back in Vancouver right now. They obviously have the day off and more as they require."
The Helijet president, who is a helicopter pilot himself, said he is proud of the two-pilot crew for their handling of the "extremely rare" incident.
"It would be a very challenging circumstance for a crewmember on the aircraft," he said.
"One can imagine possibly a loud bang would be heard – a flash of lightning – as if you maybe saw God. From there on it's difficult to ascertain what would happen going forward other than managing yourself and going through all the training procedures."
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada says it has been notified and is currently collecting data on the incident.
The Sikorsky S-76 helicopter will remain at the Victoria heliport until the safety board clears it for removal to the company's facility at the Vancouver International Airport in Richmond, B.C.
A section of the Helijet helicopter's tail appeared damaged shortly after it landed in Victoria on Oct. 24, 2023. (CTV News)
The region where the lightning strike was reported was under a special weather statement at the time, as Environment and Climate Change Canada warned of heavy rains and high winds over the southern Gulf Islands.
Nonetheless, Sitnam says the air carrier's executive team found no reports of lightning activity in the area prior to the strike or after.
"We have identified there was no lightning in the air everywhere on the South Coast other than this unusual lightning strike that happened to us," he said. "So we are kind of scratching our heads over that one. It's kind of a needle-in-the-haystack scenario from our standpoint."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Serial sexual offender linked to unsolved 1970s homicides of four Calgary girls, women
An investigation into unsolved historical homicides from the 1970s has linked the deaths of two girls and two young women in and around Calgary to a now-deceased serial offender.
Scottie Scheffler isn't the first pro golfer to be arrested during a tournament
Scottie Scheffler's arrest hours before his second-round tee time at the PGA Championship in Louisville, Kentucky, will go down as one of the most shocking in professional golf history. It certainly wasn't the first, though.
NEW What a wildfire survivor says she regrets not grabbing before leaving home
Carol Christian had 15 minutes to evacuate her home during the Fort McMurray wildfires in 2016. She ended up losing the house and everything inside. Now, she wants to share the lessons she learned.
Woman with liver failure rejected for a transplant after medical review highlights alcohol use
For nearly three months, Amanda Huska has been in an Ontario hospital, part of it on life support, because of severe liver failure. Her history of alcohol use is getting in the way of her only potential treatment: a liver transplant.
B.C. man 'attacked suddenly' by adult grizzly near Alberta border: RCMP
A B.C. man is recovering from multiple injuries after he was "attacked suddenly" by an adult grizzly bear near Elkford Thursday afternoon.
Canadian convicted of attacking Nancy Pelosi's husband with a hammer sentenced to 30 years
The man convicted of attempting to kidnap then-U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and attacking her husband with a hammer was sentenced Friday to 30 years in prison.
World No. 1 golfer charged with police officer assault before PGA Championship second round
World number one golfer Scottie Scheffler was arrested and charged with the assault of a police officer in what he called a 'chaotic situation' before being released in time to start his second round at the PGA Championship on Friday.
Australia's richest woman seeks removal of her portrait from exhibition
Art is subjective. And while many artists long to share their work with the world, there's no guarantee that the audience will understand it, or even like it.
B.C. optometrist warns against trending eye colour change procedure
A medical procedure that can permanently change a person's eye colour may be trending on social media, but a B.C. optometrist is warning about the significant risks associated.