Canadian military helicopter crashes off the coast of Greece: reports

[Guest]

Canadian Armed Forces to conclude recovery operation of Cyclone helicopter crash case

BY AYA AL-HAKIM GLOBAL NEWS

Posted June 3, 2020 9:37 am

Updated June 3, 2020 10:41 am

The military announced in a press briefing on Wednesday that they made the decision to conclude the recovery operation for the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) CH-148 Cyclone following the accident that resulted in the tragic deaths of six service members.

The recovery plan was led by a combined Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) and United States Navy (USN) team.

“After eight days over the crash site we achieved what we set out to accomplish – we located the helicopter, we have recovered some remains of our fallen and we have retrieved multiple pieces of the aircraft that will assist in the ongoing flight safety investigation,” said Rear-Admiral Craig Baines, Commander Maritime Forces Atlantic, in a statement.

The helicopter crashed into the Ionian Sea on April 29 within sight of the Halifax-class frigate HMCS Fredericton while participating in a NATO training mission on April 29.

The Armed Forces members who were on board were identified as Sub-Lieutenant Abbigail Cowbrough, Captain Brenden Ian MacDonald, Captain Kevin Hagen, Captain Maxime Miron-Morin, Sub-Lieutenant Matthew Pyke, and Master Corporal Matthew Cousins.

Baines said that while they were able to recover remains of some of the fallen service members, they have not identified these remains and it is unknown at this time whether they have found everyone.

However, the remains have been taken to be identified and once that is complete, Baines said the identities of the remains will be released to the families and then the public.

In terms of next steps, Baines said their priority is to prepare the remains for transport back to Canada, which CAF is expecting will happen early as this weekend.

-With files from the Canadian Press

[GDR]

A little further information.

https://globalnews.ca/news/7039920/caf-cyclone-helicopter-crash/

Not sure how to interpret that the aircraft didn't respond as anticipated.

[boestar]

Low altitude in a chopper is a scary place to be.  Air does some pretty dramatic stuff when you force it at the ground (water). 

[GDR]

This is an interesting piece on its FBW system. It will be interesting to see what comes of the investigation.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/cyclone-chopper-helicopter-crash-fly-by-wire-1.5616809

[Kasey]

Back in the air! Saw one south of YYJ yesterday..........

[Wolfhunter]

On 6/18/2020 at 11:47 AM, GDR said:

This is an interesting piece on its FBW system.

This is a harsh environment for FBW. Salt is an ever present enemy and corrosion control protocols are pretty stringent. Even at rest, the aircraft is constantly moving in a hanger perpetually in motion.

I know nothing of FBW but I wonder about shielding and the effects of salt encrustation on it over long duration. I could pose any number of questions but wonder if powerful surface search radars can induce stray voltages leading to control hard overs if sheilding is compromised by salt deterioration? I have no idea.

People often faulted the Seaking, and in truth there was no need to go to the sim to practice emergencies. On the other hand though, it was pretty tough and always got you home even if home was a tin can adrift in the North Atlantic.

A low altitude, salt water environment is home court for maritime helicopters and there is no escaping it. Rough and tough are admirable qualities in a world where pretty is as pretty does and your only as good as your last evolution.  

Edited July 3, 2020 by Wolfhunter

[Guest1]

 

 

No 'quick fix' to cause of deadly military helicopter crash, procurement chief says

10 hrs ago

OTTAWA — Canada’s top military procurement official warns there is no "quick fix" to the software issue identified as the primary cause of last year’s deadly helicopter crash off the coast of Greece, which killed six service members.

© Provided by The Canadian Press

Two separate internal reviews by the Canadian Armed Forces found the autopilot on Stalker 22 took control of the CH-148 Cyclone helicopter as the pilot was turning to land on HMCS Fredericton on April 29, 2020, sending it into the Ionian Sea.

Master Cpl. Matthew Cousins, Sub-Lt. Abbigail Cowbrough, Capt. Kevin Hagen, Capt. Brenden MacDonald, Capt. Maxime Miron-Morin and Sub-Lt. Matthew Pyke died in the crash.

Among the recommendations to prevent similar incidents with the rest of the Cyclone fleet, the reviews said the autopilot problem should be addressed.

Troy Crosby, the assistant deputy minister of materiel at the Department of National Defence, says officials have since launched discussions with Sikorsky Aircraft, the American company building the Cyclone, to find ways to deal with the issue.

However, he added, “it’s not as simple as making a quick fix” because changing one part of the Cyclone’s existing software could have unintended consequences elsewhere.

“So it has to be very carefully thought through,” he told The Canadian Press in an interview. “And then once that’s determined, then a decision will be made on how to proceed.”

Crosby did not offer a timeline for when that might come, though he did indicate there are no plans at this time to take legal action against Sikorsky, which is now owned by U.S. aerospace giant Lockheed Martin.

The flight-safety review released last month appeared to absolve Sikorsky of any responsibility, saying the type of manoeuvre that Stalker 22’s pilot was attempting to perform was not spelled out in the military’s documentation.

Sikorsky spokesman John Dorrian expressed his condolences in a statement to the families of those killed in the crash.

“When operated as designed, tested, and certified, the CH-148 has proven to be safe and effective,” he added. “If requested, we are ready to work with the Canadian Armed Forces to modify the CH-148.”

The crash of Stalker 22 marked the largest single-day loss of life for Canada’s military since Afghanistan. It also cast a harsh spotlight on the Cyclone’s long and problem-plagued development, which remains a work in progress.

Sikorsky yet to deliver all 28 Cyclones that Canada first ordered in 2004, though Crosby said the last is scheduled to arrive in the country by the end of this year.

Even then, however, the aircraft will not be exactly what Canada ordered, as the fleet needs further updates to its software and electronic warfare system. Neither is related to the issue that caused Stalker 22 to crash.

Defence procurement documents released last week also show the $3.1-billion project is “facing financial challenges, increased procurement costs and some financial adjustments," and that officials plan to ask the government for more money to finish it.

Crosby described the latest cost overrun as a “couple of percentage points” of the overall budget.

The Cyclones are typically deployed on board Canadian frigates and used for search and rescue, surveillance and anti-submarine warfare.

The crash of Stalker 22 was only one of several incidents involving the fleet, which only started flying real missions in 2018. The most recent saw a Cyclone make an emergency landing in a Halifax park before being towed back to base.

The mother of one of those killed while on board Stalker 22 has questioned why the Cyclones, which only started flying real missions in 2018, were allowed back into the air less than two months after the crash. 

But Royal Canadian Air Force commander Lt.-Gen. Al Meinzinger has expressed confidence in the helicopter, two of which are currently deployed overseas with Canadian warships. 

Crosby echoed the sentiment, adding: “Clearly the accident was a terrible tragedy and we lost too many good people … We’ve got the subject-matter experts focused on ensuring that we learn from this and make improvements.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 8, 2021.

Lee Berthiaume, The Canadian Press