Pilot killed after helicopter crashes into carver's studio in Campbell River
Credit to Author: The Canadian Press| Date: Wed, 25 Sep 2019 00:49:15 +0000
A pilot of a commercial helicopter has died after the craft crashed into a respected Indigenous carver’s studio in Campbell River, narrowly missing the artist.
RCMP Const. Maury Tyre said the pilot was the only person on-board when the copter crashed Tuesday. Tyre said the cause was unknown, but WorkSafeBC, the Transportation Safety Board and the provincial coroners’ service were investigating.
Keshia Malone, the great-niece of artist Bill Henderson, said he was in his carving shed and happened to get up from the chair where he normally works when the helicopter crashed into the structure. The copter struck the top corner of the shed right above the chair and the propeller blade went through the roof, she said.
“Had he not gotten up out of his chair, it probably would have been a lot worse,” Malone said.
Henderson, in his late 60s, is a member of the Wei Wai Kum First Nation and his masks, bowls, paddles and other carvings are collected around the world.
Malone said he was doing all right but was feeling shaken-up and emotional. His nephews were outside the shed working on a totem pole close to where the crash happened but also escaped unscathed, said Malone.
The crash happened in the Tyee Spit area, which is home to several aviation companies. The TSB said the accident involved a Bell 206 helicopter and it was deploying a team of investigators to the site. WorkSafeBC said it already has a safety officer at the scene.