Photo: Ordinary Seaman Raymond Kwan, Formation Imaging Services
HS28-2016-0001-007
One of Canada’s brand new Cyclone maritime helicopters will be checked for damage in Guam after a hard landing on a ship in the Pacific. The helicopter was landing on a supply ship taking part in an exercise off Hawaii on Feb. 18 when the mishap occurred. The helicopter, which is assigned to HMCS Regina, could not return to the ship and the supply ship MV Asterisk, is being sent to Guam where better facilities to do the inspection exist. There were no serious injuries to the crew and the ship wasn’t damaged. An investigation is under way to determine the cause of the hard landing.
“On February 18, 2019, the CH-148 Cyclone helicopter, currently deployed on Operation PROJECTION, experienced a hard landing on board Naval Replenishment Unit (NRU) ASTERIX West of Kauai, Hawaii,” the Canadian Forces said in a tweet last week. The Asterix is operating with HMCS Regina in the Pacific. The Cyclone recently replaced the Sea King as the RCAF’s maritime helicopter.