Helicopter crash near Kinley a result of severe icing: Transport Canada

A helicopter crash just outside Kinley, Sask. has claimed one man’s life, according to RCMP.

The helicopter crashed about three kilometres southeast of the village at around 7:45 p.m. Police identified a 48-year-old Calgary man as the lone pilot in the helicopter, adding he was flying from Calgary to Saskatoon.

The helicopter went down in a field a few hundred yards from Dave Park’s home. Park said the weather was windy and snowy at the time.

“I heard a little bit noise before, then it went away. Then it came back and it got louder, louder and louder,” he said recalling a “big bang” a short time later.

He said there was no smoke or fire so he used his headlights on his truck to find the wreckage in the dark.

The cause remains under investigation, but a preliminary report by Transport Canada suggests weather may have played a part.

The report filed by Nav Canada said the 1976 Bell 206 helicopter owned by Elephant Enterprises reported “severe icing” before it dropped before radar coverage.

A Transportation Safety Board team arrived on scene Wednesday evening and plan to begin examining the wreckage on Thursday.

Spokesperson Chris Krepski said weather and air traffic information is only part of the evidence they gather during an investigation.

“We can’t draw conclusions based on one piece of information. We have to gather all the necessary information.”

No properties were damaged in the crash.

This comes less than a week after another helicopter crash near Paynton claimed the life of a pilot, and a 30-year-old man from Prince Albert.