Overview
- The Transportation Safety Board report says a maintenance ground run at Smithers Airport on May 6, 2023, ended when an Airbus AS350 B3 began an uncommanded 540° rotation that killed one maintenance worker and seriously injured another.
- Investigators found the pilot abbreviated the maintenance checklist and left the right anti-torque pedal in a forward position, a procedural omission that allowed yaw forces to build during the run.
- The TSB concluded the pilot’s attention was split by a cellphone and a Bluetooth earpiece during routine operations, which reduced situational awareness and contributed to an inadequate response as the helicopter began to spin.
- The board found no defect in the tail rotor or related systems and reported the pilot moved engine control to idle, shut off fuel, and applied the rotor brake before the helicopter stopped after about one and a half rotations.
- Mustang Helicopters updated procedures, required the maintenance engineer to be inside the helicopter during ground runs, bought wireless communications, and adopted a device-stow policy, while the TSB highlighted that Canada has no regulation explicitly banning cockpit cellphone use which could prompt broader regulatory review.