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
Poilievre unrepentant over calling Trudeau 'wacko' as his MPs say Speaker should resign
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says he does not regret calling Prime Minister Justin Trudeau 'wacko,' and now his MPs are renewing calls for the House of Commons Speaker to resign, this time over ordering the Official Opposition leader to leave the chamber.
Is it cold, flu or norovirus? Symptoms explained
The highly contagious norovirus is spreading across Canada, with some symptoms overlapping with other viruses. CTVNews.ca spoke with a health expert to find out how you can tell you have norovirus, the most common form of stomach flu, and what to do if you have it.
Doctors dealing with at least 160 Canadians suffering eye damage possibly linked to looking at the eclipse
Nearly a month after the total solar eclipse, at least 160 cases of eye damage have been reported across the country.
Ontario's police watchdog continues probe of high-speed pursuit involving fatal crash
The investigation continues into a collision that killed two grandparents and their infant grandchild during a high-speed police chase on the wrong way of Highway 401 east of Toronto.
Stranded cruise passengers in Spain race to catch up with their ship
A month after eight Norwegian Cruise Line passengers were stranded in Africa when their ship left without them because they were late getting back, a U.S. couple – ages 84 and 81 – were also left behind by the cruise line in Spain.
Blair says he couldn't sell cabinet on meeting 'magical threshold' of NATO target
Defence Minister Bill Blair says he couldn't convince the Liberal cabinet that Canada's government needed to meet NATO's spending target in its recent defence policy update.
BREAKING London Drugs stores remain closed for 4th straight day after 'cybersecurity incident'
Dozens of London Drugs stores in Western Canada remained closed for the fourth straight day following a "cybersecurity incident."
No criminal charges after 4 newborn bodies found in Boston freezer
A prosecutor in Massachusetts won't seek criminal charges against anyone, two years after four newborns were found in a freezer in a South Boston apartment.
Anger can harm your blood vessel function, study shows
Stress and anger can have a negative impact on cardiovascular health, studies have shown. New research points to just how the mechanism may work.