The remains of four of the six Canadian Armed Forces members killed when a Cyclone helicopter crashed into the Ionian Sea off Greece in late April have been identified. The Sikorsky CH-148 Cyclone is a twin-engine, multi-role shipboard helicopter developed by the Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation for the Canadian Armed Forces. The chopper is designed specifically for ship board operation.
The accident occurred as the helicopter was coming around to land on HMCS Fredericton, officials said. The pilot attempted to make a number of manoeuvres while the Cyclone’s autopilot, was still engaged.Rather than turning off, the autopilot started to work against the human pilot before the helicopter crashed into the water at high speed,killing all on-board.
The Department of National Defence (DND) says the remains were positively identified Thursday by the Chief Coroner for Ontario.The remains were found during a combined search and recovery operation with the United States Navy conducted between May 25 and June 2.
The military says the families of all crew members lost in the accident have been notified and the remains will be released to the families over the coming days.
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