A Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) CH147F Chinook helicopter, tail number CH147310, crashed into the Ottawa River on the night of Jun. 19, 2023, killing two pilots. The accident occurred during a demanding night training exercise designed to challenge student pilots as part of the Tactical First Officer Course. The newly released accident report concludes that the crew experienced spatial disorientation, leading to a Controlled Flight into Terrain (CFIT).
Photo: RCAF
On that fateful night, the Chinook crew was scheduled to conduct two separate, two-hour Advanced Night Tests, with a planned student pilot crew change at the mission’s halfway point. The Instructor Pilot and two Flight Engineers remained on board throughout the entire four-hour mission. The accident occurred during the second portion of the mission, shortly after the two Student Pilots had switched places.
The crew initially departed from Final Approach and Take-Off Area 17 towards confined area T40 in training area “E”. However, shortly after takeoff, the Instructor Pilot simulated an engine chip emergency, requiring the crew to return for a landing. After successfully handling the simulated emergency, the Chinook departed again, heading towards confined area T40. It was during this second departure, while turning towards the training area, that the aircraft entered a constant descent. Tragically, none of the four crew members perceived the aircraft’s altitude loss or rate of descent before the helicopter impacted the Ottawa River with high energy.
The accident investigation determined that the unperceived acceleration combined with the challenging environmental conditions present that night induced spatial disorientation in the crew, making them unaware of their descent. The helicopter was destroyed in the crash. The two pilots sustained fatal injuries, while the two Flight Engineers were able to successfully egress the helicopter, sustaining only minor injuries.
In response to the accident, the investigation has put forward numerous recommendations to amend the CH147F publications. One key recommendation is to mandate the use of the Digital Automatic Flight Control System in its Level-3, or Native Mode, when operating below 200 feet above water at night. Further recommendations aim to bolster the RCAF’s emergency response preparedness to similar incidents. These findings and subsequent recommendations underscore the insidious nature of spatial disorientation, particularly during challenging night flying conditions, and highlight the importance of robust safety procedures and training protocols within military aviation.
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