A Commercial Helicopter Crashed Near A Village In BC & The Pilot Was Killed

An investigation to establish the cause of the crash has begun.

Log booms on the water in Sayward, B.C.

Log booms on the water in Sayward, B.C.

Western Canada Editor

An investigation has been launched to establish the cause of a helicopter crash on Vancouver Island that claimed the life of its pilot.

Sayward RCMP said the helicopter crashed in a remote area of Sayward, situated in northern Vancouver Island between Campbell River and Port McNeill.

RCMP said the helicopter was transporting wood moments before it had crashed north of Sayward along the Johnstone Strait.

The Joint Rescue Coordination Centre was notified and a search and rescue team from the Canadian Forces base in Comox was sent to the scene, where the pilot was found deceased.

Police said that the pilot was the only one travelling aboard the aircraft.

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) said that it is also investigating the incident.

In a statement, the TSB said it was "deploying a team of investigators following a collision with terrain of a helicopter near Sayward, BC. The TSB will gather information and assess the occurrence."

RCMP said they are working alongside the TSB and the BC Coroners Service to determine the cause of this incident.

They are asking anyone with information or who may have seen what happened to contact Sayward RCMP at 250-282-5522.

This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.

  • Western Canada Editor Daniel Milligan was the Western Canada Editor at Narcity Canada. He was responsible for developing trending news strategies and managing a team of writers and editors. Originally from the U.K., Daniel holds a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in journalism from Staffordshire University. Over the past decade, he has worked on major news stories including terror attacks in London, England, and Manchester, along with royal weddings, Brexit developments, the Canadian federal election and the Nova Scotia mass shooting. Daniel was a senior editor and newsroom leader at Trinity Mirror, one of the U.K.'s largest regional news websites. He would later move to Toronto and work at Yahoo Canada and CTV News/CTV National News.

Tax brackets in Canada: Here's what you'll pay in each province on your 2025 tax return

A few tax changes for 2025 mean you could be paying a lot less this spring. 👀

Costco has a new store opening in 2026 and the unique warehouse is a first in this province

It'll have thousands of products that aren't available at regular stores. 👀

24 products at Costco you can get for cheaper than items at Loblaws

You might not expect some of these items to be a better deal because of the price tags. 👀