No injuries after military chopper damaged in night landing on Canadian navy ship

Defence officials say there were no injuries after a military helicopter was seriously damaged during a night flight landing on a Canadian navy frigate.

A flight safety report from the Department of National Defence says it happened Oct. 6 aboard the HMCS Ville de Québec in the Norwegian Sea.

The report says as the Cyclone helicopter came in for landing, two main rotor blades clipped its tail boom and severed multiple components, including a tail rotor drive shaft.

It says the four crew members on board performed an emergency engine shutdown and fled the aircraft.

Officials say none of the four were injured, though the helicopter sustained serious damage.

HMCS Ville de Québec has been at sea since July as part of Operation Reassurance, a NATO mission meant to deter Russian aggression in eastern Europe.

"While no technical issues have been identified to date, the investigation remains ongoing and continues to focus on material & systems, environmental and human factors," the report issued Thursday says.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 3, 2026.

By Aaron Sousa | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.