Pilot killed as helicopter goes down on B.C.’s Sunshine Coast

SECHELT, B.C. — One person has been killed in a helicopter crash on British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast, north of Vancouver.

RCMP say the helicopter crashed around 2 p.m. Monday in an area near Killam Bay, at the entrance to Jervis Inlet, northeast of Sechelt.

Police say in a news release that witnesses in the area were first on the scene and while some of the debris was located, the pilot was not.

The Transportation Safety Board says the pilot, who was the lone occupant on the Kaman KMax helicopter, was conducting heli-logging operations when the chopper crashed into the inlet.

The coast guard and the coroners service are also investigating and an attempt will be made to recover the helicopter, though police say that may take some time as the water in the area is believed to be more than 150 metres deep.

The helicopter’s website says the Kaman KMax is used for firefighting, military and defence, and logging because it can lift about 2,700 kilograms, more than its own weight.