Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) conduct searches around a series of islands on the Ottawa River near Fort William in the Pontiac Regional County Municipality on Tuesday, June 20, 2023. The Canadian Armed Forces says it plans to pull the CH-147H Chinook helicopter that crashed into the Ottawa river last month out of the water today. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Spencer Colby
OTTAWA – The Canadian Armed Forces said it planned to begin the complicated process of pulling the wreckage of a downed CH-147F Chinook helicopter from the Ottawa River Tuesday, after a crash killed two pilots last month.
Four Royal Canadian Air Force members were conducting a normal nighttime training exercise around midnight near the Petawawa military base on June 20 when the helicopter crashed into the water, killing two of the members on board and injuring two others.
The bodies of the two pilots were recovered the next day after an extensive search near Petawawa, Ont., which is about 160 kilometres northwest of Ottawa.
The helicopter was later found at the bottom of the river.
The Air Force identified the victims as Capt. David Domagala of Woodstock, Ont., and Capt. Marc Larouche of Amos, Que.
The cause of the crash is still under investigation by the Air Force’s Directorate of Flight Safety.
The military said it plans to raise the helicopter to the surface using a crane with the support of multiple barges.The remains of the helicopter will then be towed to shore.
Once it has been assessed by investigators, the helicopter is expected to be removed from the site by truck.
People who live in the area can expect to see increased marine and shore activity in the coming days, the military said in a statement Tuesday.
Military officials have so far refused to speculate on what may have caused the crash. There was a recording device on board the helicopter, but it’s not clear if it will be recovered from the wreckage.
Meanwhile, the Canadian Armed Forces also launched an environmental cleanup to remove small amounts of helicopter fuel from the water.
The military said there is no evidence of environmental contamination along the riverbank or the beach, but it will continue to take samples and monitor the area for any contamination that results from the crash or the helicopter recovery.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 11, 2023.
