A helicopter pilot died in Campbell River Tuesday after crashing his machine into a building where carvers work.
Three carvers, one at work directly under the spot where the helicopter crashed into the roof, and two working on a totem pole outside, were all unhurt. Large pieces of the aircraft fell off the building’s roof and caught fire. The fire was quickly extinguished.
RCMP said they and the Campbell River Fire Department were first alerted to the crash at 11:25 a.m. It happened at a waterfront area known as Tyee Spit where several helicopter and seaplane companies operate.
Police would only say the commercial helicopter was locally owned and operated, not naming either the pilot or the firm. The pilot was alone.
The Transportation Safety Board identified the helicopter as a Bell 206, a type of machine that is flown by Campbell River company E&B Helicopters.
A witness said the helicopter’s tail was painted blue, an E&B colour. The company declined to comment about the crash.
Jim Henderson, a witness to the crash, recognized the machine and identified the pilot as Ed Wilcox, owner of E&B, whom he described as a very experienced pilot.
Henderson, manager of the nearby Wei Wai Kum Net Loft, where commercial fishermen hang, store and repair their nets, said he just happened to be looking out and saw the helicopter.
“It was kind of odd looking, sputtering,” he said.
“I would say it had to be mechanical problems because Ed Wilcox is a very experienced individual. It looked like he was either trying to put it down somewhere safe where he wouldn’t hurt himself or hurt some other people,” Henderson said.
“It was pretty freaky. It just seemed to fall straight out of the sky.”
The helicopter came down on a building called “the carving shed” on Wei Wai Kum First Nation land, where carvers were plying their craft.
Sandra Malone, manager of the nearby Thunderbird RV Park and Resort, said she was in her office when a maintenance person called her on the radio phone.
“He said: ‘Sandra, Sandra, a helicopter just crashed into the shed,’ ” Malone said. “I just grabbed my keys and I was out the door.”
She said working in the shed was her Uncle Billy, renowned carver Bill Henderson, and his two nephews Junior and Jonathan Henderson. “When I got there I just kept asking: ‘Where’s my Uncle Billy, where’s Uncle Billy?’ until someone pointed,” said Malone. She said she sat with her uncle for about 20 minutes before he could even speak about what had happened.
“He was there, but he wasn’t really there,” she said. “It took him about 20 minutes of just sitting there before he started to say: ‘I’m OK, I think I’m OK.’ ”
She said when she first arrived there was a lot of smoke and some parts of the helicopter were beside the carving shed, apparently after sliding off the roof.
“I don’t know if the helicopter went right through [the roof] but my Uncle Billy’s chair is right under there,” she said. “He just kept on saying: ‘I was sitting right under there, I was sitting right under there.’ ”
She the two nephews were outside and part of the chopper’s tail came down on one of their trucks. Both of them were badly shaken but physically unhurt.
RCMP said the B.C. Coroners Service, the Transportation Safety Board and WorkSafe B.C. are also investigating the crash.
