Helijet receives heaviest federal aviation fines in B.C.

VANCOUVER — Richmond-based Helijet has received the heaviest fines from Transport Canada so far this year for aviation violations in B.C., a review of federal enforcement files reveals.

Helijet was fined a total of $26,250 on six counts over four separate days for failure to operate an aircraft “in accordance with the operating limitations set out in the aircraft flight manual.”

The federal department had raised concerns about the model of aircraft used by Helijet doing night flights onto so-called H1 category hospital helipads — those in dense urban areas — and the need for more windows so that if one engine fails, pilots would have an unobstructed view for an emergency landing.

Rick Hill, Helijet’s vicepresident of commercial and business programs, said in response to the fines that the issue stemmed from a Transport Canada inspection in March 2016 that resulted in Helijet voluntarily suspending its Sikorsky 76C+ air-medical helicopters from landing at up to seven hospital helipads in or near urban areas.

“A Transport Canada routine inspection determined that Helijet’s S76 Sikorsky helicopters used for air-medical operations were not technically compliant with Transport Canada’s criteria for landing at H1 class heliports,” Hill said.

Eventually, a new technical document referred to as a Supplemental Type Certificate was approved by Transport Canada and added to the S76C+ helicopter flight manual, which permitted resumption of landings at all previously restricted ground and elevated H1 designated hospital heliports in December 2016, Hill said.

This month, a federal Transportation Safety Board report determined that flying under night visual flight rules (VFR) without adequate visual reference to the ground, along with a lack of crew co-ordination and ineffective standard operating procedures, led to a Helijet Sikorsky S76 helicopter nearly colliding with terrain in Tofino in November 2015. Following the incident, Helijet increased employee training and developed a risk management plan for night VFR operations. The company will provide night-vision goggles to flight crews, the report added. The Tofino/Long Beach Airport installed infrastructure and was night-certified in January 2017.

A separate review of Transport Canada files on reportable aviation incidents for 2017 showed several involving Helijet Sikorsky helicopters, largely typical of the range of events that aircraft encounter every year, including: • Nov. 22: During a flight from Vancouver Harbour to Victoria International Airport, the crew declared an emergency due to concerns with the tail rotor. After a safe landing, an inspection revealed a malfunction with the autopilot computer.

• Oct. 10: During a flight from Vancouver Harbour to Victoria Harbour, the crew declared an emergency after observing a number-one engine fire-warning light. The crew activated the fire extinguisher and the warning light went out. A subsequent inspection revealed a false warning caused by moisture on the fire detector.