By CKOM Staff

Helicopter crash kills two, including man from Prince Albert

Oct 22, 2015 | 11:21 PM

Two men are dead after the helicopter they were in crashed Thursday afternoon.

RCMP received a call about the crash around 2 p.m.

According to a news release, the 55-year-old pilot and 30-year-old passenger were working on power poles north of Paynton — 57 kilometres northwest of the Battlefords — when it crashed in the North Saskatchewan River. Both men died at the scene.

SaskPower confirmed that the helicopter was contracted to put aerial markers on a new power line crossing the North Saskatchewan River as part of building a new substation near the Village of Edam.

The 55-year-old is from Campbell River, BC while the 30-year-old is from Prince Albert.

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The Transportation Safety Board is now investigating the crash. RCMP have notified Occupational Health and Safety.

Oceanview Helicopter, a British Columbia-based helicopter service, confirms it was one of its fleet that crashed near Paynton while doing work it describes as “complex and highly specialized.”

In a press release, the company said it was saddened by the incident, and has been in contact with the pilot’s family, and the employer of the passenger from Prince Albert who was killed — that employer is Oceanview’s client. 

Oceanview said they won’t speculate on the cause of the crash, but they’re cooperating with investigators.

The aircraft that crashed was an M-D 500-D helicopter. On its website Oceanview describes the model as compact, very stable, and highly manoueverable.  

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