Helijet chopper hit by helicopter-induced lightning, setting off plunge: TSB report

A detail of the damage the HeliJet aircraft sustained on Oct. 24, 2023. (Supplied)

The Transportation Safety Board says a helicopter-induced lightning strike set off an uncontrolled and rapid descent of a passenger helicopter off British Columbia’s coast in October 2023.

The report released Wednesday says the Helijet flight, with two crew and 12 passengers aboard, was travelling through overcast conditions that were conductive to such lightning, but those conditions aren’t identifiable and the crew wasn’t aware of the chance of lightning.

It says the lightning hit a tail rotor blade assembly, taking off one of the blades and setting off the fall of about 900 metres before the chopper emerged from the clouds and the captain could retain control.

After the strike, the report says the first officer took control but experienced spatial disorientation, unable to interpret the helicopter’s altitude or airspeed in relation to Earth.

Once the crew regained control, it says they had time to weigh the options and decided to continue the trip from Vancouver to Victoria, although the captain had also identified a contingency plan to land if something changed.

The board says its investigation determined that weather data before the flight didn’t indicate conditions that would have prevented the aircraft from leaving.

After the helicopter plunged, the report says the pilot announced to the passengers what had happened.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 13, 2026.