Four people were killed after a privately operated helicopter crashed into a field and caught fire about 50 kilometers southeast of Montreal, prompting a major investigation by provincial police and Canada’s Transportation Safety Board.
The crash occurred shortly after 2:30 p.m. local time in the municipality of Sainte-Brigide-d’Iberville, in Quebec’s Montérégie region. Emergency responders arrived after receiving reports that the helicopter had crashed near Rang des Écossais and was engulfed in flames. All four occupants were pronounced dead at the scene.
Provincial police said the identities of the victims had not yet been released, pending notification of their families. Preliminary information indicates the aircraft was a private helicopter, although authorities have not disclosed its ownership or flight destination.
Firefighters brought the blaze under control within about an hour, while police secured a wide perimeter around the crash site. Investigators remained at the location until late Saturday evening collecting evidence and documenting the wreckage.
The Sûreté du Québec’s Major Crimes Unit has taken charge of the investigation because the crash resulted in multiple fatalities. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) has also deployed aviation investigators to determine the cause and circumstances of the accident.
Authorities have not said whether the helicopter experienced mechanical problems, issued a distress call, or encountered adverse weather before the crash. Officials said it is too early to determine what caused the aircraft to go down.
The crash is the latest fatal aviation accident under investigation by the TSB, Canada’s independent transportation safety agency, which is responsible for determining the causes of aviation, rail, marine and pipeline accidents to improve transportation safety.
