A joint statement from Commanders of the Royal Canadian Navy and Royal Canadian Air Force on the crash of a CH-148 Cyclone helicopter
Lieutenant-General Al Meinzinger, Commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force, and Vice-Admiral Art McDonald, Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy, issued the following statement:
“Our hearts are heavy with the recent news from HMCS Fredericton. There are no words to describe a loss as tragic as this. On behalf of the entire Air Force and Navy family, we offer our deepest condolences, love and support to the families, friends and loved ones of all those affected by this devastating loss.
Our thanks go out to all those involved in search efforts and in particular our NATO partners operating in the area.
This incident serves as a difficult reminder of the sacrifice that our brave men and women face daily while defending and representing our nation, both at home and abroad. It also serves to remind us all how dangerous even routine operations at-sea and in the air can be. In the face of these realities, the sailors and aviators aboard Navy frigates operate as one team – one family – a family that today mourns together.
To the families and loved ones of Master Corporal Matthew Cousins, Sub-Lieutenant Abbigail Cowbrough, Captain Kevin Hagen, Captain Brenden Ian MacDonald, Captain Maxime Miron-Morin, and Sub-Lieutenant Matthew Pyke - we extend our deepest sympathies. As we take the time to come to terms with this tragedy, our thoughts are with you and we stand ready to support you through these difficult times.”
2 thoughts on “Statement from Commanders of the RCN and RCAF on the crash of a Cyclone helicopter”
It’s a tragic event, indeed.
While investigation is still in progress, I found a relevant article published by http://www.cbc.ca “As military probes deadly crash, clues could lie in the Cyclone’s troubled procurement history” by Murray Brewster. Few paragraphs here:
“The key point here is that the Cyclone is a developmental aircraft,” said Michael Byers, a University of British Columbia defence policy analyst who has written reports and articles critical of the maritime helicopter program. […] Unlike the Sea King it replaced, the Cyclone runs on a “fly-by-wire” (FBW) design. It replaces conventional mechanical flight controls with electronic ones – basically, computers that order the flight control surfaces to move based on the input from pilots. […] If pilot error is ruled out in last week’s crash, and if there are concerns about either the flight control software or the adequacy of the design, Byers said the Liberal government could find itself facing a horrible dilemma. […] “I’m not suggesting that is likely to happen, but with any developmental aircraft, you risk discovering a fundamental problem that is integral to the aircraft,” he said.
Ref https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/cyclone-helicopter-crash-1.5560643
Canadian Armed Forces members recovered from Stalker 22 crash identified
https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/news/2020/06/canadian-armed-forces-members-recovered-from-stalker-22-crash-identified.html