Manufacturing defect, engine failure led to fatal crash of firefighting helicopter in Alberta: TSB

A Bell 205A-1 helicopter operated by Valhalla Helicopters Inc. (Source: Valhalla Helicopters Inc.)

A fatal helicopter crash during firefighting operations in northern Alberta in 2023 was due to a combination of a manufacturing defect and mechanical failure, the Transportation Safety Board (TSB) of Canada says.

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The Bell 205A-1 helicopter operated by Valhalla Helicopters Inc. crashed shortly after liftoff approximately 100 kilometres northeast of Peace River on July 19, 2023.

The helicopter was carrying an empty water bucket on a 150-foot longline as it took off from the Haig Lake firebase.

The helicopter’s engine failed, and as it began to descend to the ground, the water bucket got tangled in the trees, causing the helicopter to crash into the ground.

The pilot, 41-year-old Ryan Gould, was killed in the crash.

“Ryan was a skilled pilot and comes from a family of aviation,” the Gould family said in a statement after the crash. “He traveled and made an impact wherever he went … His blue eyes and sense of humor are unforgettable.”

An investigation by the TSB found a manufacturing defect in the helicopter engine’s air diffuser created a localized failure, which led to engine failure.

“We worked with the manufacturer of the engine and the helicopter during the investigation, and this was the first instance of an air diffuser failure for this type of engine,” Hugo Fontaine of TSB said in an email to CTV News Edmonton.

"Also, we just want to reiterate that in this occurrence, manufacturing defect doesn’t mean a design flaw, but rather that sometimes, manufactured parts may have flaws."

The TSB says it is not known why the water bucket did not release before it became tangled in the trees, but the investigation found it is common practice for pilots to operate with the cargo release switch in the OFF position, which deactivates the electric cargo release on the collective to prevent accidental release.

After the crash, Valhalla Helicopters Inc. issued a company memo reminding flight crews that the electric cargo release hook be armed for any external load operations and that both the manual and electric releases be checked before the first flight of the day.

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Craig Ellingson