Helicopter was searching for mountain pine beetles before deadly crash

Two investigators from the Transportation Safety Board are at thescene of a deadly helicopter crash near Fox Creek that killed one woman and sent twoothers to hospital.

The Bell 206 helicopter crashed around 4:20 p.m. Monday about 25 kilometres south of the northern Alberta town.

The aircraft was searching the boreal forest for signs of the invasive mountain pine beetle just before it crashed.

A 44-year-old woman who was a passenger on the chopper was killed. A male passenger,also involved in the scientific survey work, suffered minor injuries.

The female pilot is recovering from severe injuries, including a broken leg and bruises.

• One woman dead, two people injured in helicopter crash near Fox Creek

The TSBdispatched two investigators to the remote scene early Tuesday morning.

The investigators are surveying the crash site, taking photographs and examining the wreckage, saidJon Lee, western regional manager for the TSB.

"They'll be doing an examination of flight controls as best they can, as well as the engine," he said.

"Measuring any damage to the trees, ground scars, collecting any paperwork that might be associated with the occurrence and,of course,any devices that might have been recording the aircraft's position."

Lee said he expects the on-siteinvestigation to wrap up Tuesday afternoon, but it could be months before the cause of the crash is determined.

'Our thoughts are with the family'

The helicopter was operated by Ridge Rotors, a company based out ofBlue Ridge,Alta.

"We got a call from search and rescue that the emergency locator had gone off," saidHansNogel, operations manager for the company.

"We dispatched an aircraft to the site, and then STARS was dispatched, and then from there the Transportation Safety Board took over."

The helicopter was conducting aerial surveys as part of a contract with Alberta's Agriculture and Forestry department.

Nogel said he has no information about what might have caused the crash, and declined to identify the pilot and passengers.

"Of course our thoughts are with the family of the deceased, first and foremost," Nogel said, his voice breaking with emotion.

"It is fully in the hands of the Transportation Safety Board, and we will do everything we can to co-operate with them, and see what the findings are."