One still in hospital after military helicopter crash at Gander, N.L., airport
One military member remained in hospital Friday in stable condition after a Cormorant helicopter crash at the airport in Gander, N.L., officials said.
The person was among six crew members on board the CH-149 search and rescue aircraft when the crash occurred at about 3:40 p.m. Thursday at the Gander International Airport. The helicopter was conducting hovering manoeuvres at the airport, which is next to the Canadian Forces Base 9 Wing Gander.
Of the six crew members on board -- two pilots, two flight engineers and two search and rescue technicians -- four were taken to hospital, Lt.-Col. Lydia Evequoz said in a statement Friday.
"Three of those members taken to hospital have since been released, while one remains in stable condition in hospital in good spirits with their family by their side," she said.
Two other crew members were assessed at the scene of the crash and didn't need medical attention, Evequoz added.
The crash caused the Gander airport to shut down on Thursday, but officials said it had reopened as of 9:30 a.m. Friday. One runway was operating at a reduced capacity while another would remain closed until the investigation into the incident had ended, the airport said Friday in a news release.
The crash occurred at the intersection of the two runways, the airport said.
Air force spokesman David Lavallee said in an email Friday that the aircraft "did sustain significant damage."
"The CH-149 Cormorant fleet entered service in Canada starting in 2001," he added. "The specific aircraft involved in the accident has been in service for 18 years."
He said the military wouldn't provide more details because the crash is under investigation. Pictures from the scene showed the aircraft on its side with its tail apparently missing.
Evequoz said search and rescue services are still available in the province, "despite this unfortunate incident."
She said a team from the air force's flight safety directorate was on its way to lead the investigation into the crash.
CH-149 Cormorant helicopters are long-range aircraft that can operate in severe conditions, according to the air force. The aircraft's frame is nearly 23 metres long, and its rotor span is 18.5 metres.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 11, 2022.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
"It's a bit of a complicated pattern; we've got a lot going on," said Jennifer Smith of the Meteorological Service of Canada in an interview with CTVNews.ca on Wednesday. "[As is] typical with weather, all of these things are related."
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Police tangle with students in Texas and California as wave of campus protest against Gaza war grows
Police tangled with student demonstrators in Texas and California while new encampments sprouted Wednesday at Harvard and other colleges as school leaders sought ways to defuse a growing wave of pro-Palestinian protests.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.