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
Here's where Canadians are living abroad: report
A recent report sheds light on Canadians living abroad--estimated at around four million people in 2016—and the public policies that impact them.
What is a 'halal mortgage'? Does it make housing more accessible?
The 2024 federal budget announced on April 16 included plans to introduce “halal mortgages” as a way to increase access to home ownership.
'We are declaring our readiness': No decision made yet as Poland declares it's ready to host nuclear weapons
Polish President Andrzej Duda says while no decision has been made around whether Poland will host nuclear weapons as part of an expansion of the NATO alliance’s nuclear sharing program, his country is willing and prepared to do so.
Deadly six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 sparked by road rage incident
One person was killed in a six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 in Innisfil Friday evening.
Invasive and toxic hammerhead worms make themselves at home in Ontario
Ontario is now home to an invasive and toxic worm species that can grow up to three feet long and can be dangerous to small animals and pets.
Harvey Weinstein hospitalized after return to New York from upstate prison
Harvey Weinstein’s lawyer said Saturday that the onetime movie mogul has been hospitalized for a battery of tests after his return to New York City following an appeals court ruling nullifying his 2020 rape conviction.
Opinion I just don't get Taylor Swift
It's one thing to say you like Taylor Swift and her music, but don't blame CNN's AJ Willingham's when she says she just 'doesn't get' the global phenomenon.
Central Alberta queer groups react to request from Red Deer-South to reinstate Jennifer Johnson to UCP caucus
A number of LGBQT+2s groups in Central Alberta are pushing back against a request from the Red Deer South UCP constituency to reinstate MLA Jennifer Johnson into the UCP caucus.
Mookie Betts leads Dodgers past Blue Jays 4-2; Toronto drops fifth consecutive game
Mookie Betts went 3 for 5, including a triple and an RBI single, as the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Toronto Blue Jays 4-2 on Saturday.