A Canadian Chinook helicopter prepares to remove a Howitzer from a forward operating base in the Panjwaii district of Afghanistan on July 9, 2010.The Canadian Press
A distracted pilot and a blinding swirl of dust kicked up by rotors were to blame for a helicopter crash in Afghanistan two years ago that killed two Canadians and a Briton.
A military board of inquiry filed its final report on the crash on Wednesday.
The board blamed the unidentified pilot and an overly dusty landing zone for the incident in which a Canadian Griffon helicopter crashed while trying to take off from an American base about 20 minutes flying time northeast of Kandahar in July 2009.
Flight engineer Master Cpl. Pat Audet of 430 tactical helicopter squadron, door gunner Cpl. Martin Joannette of the Royal 22nd Regiment and a passenger, Capt. Ben Babington-Browne of Britain's Royal Engineers, died in the burning wreck.
The two pilots and an injured passenger were able to crawl out through the shattered windscreen of the downed chopper. The pilots tried to return to help the others, but were driven back by flames.
The report says the pilot at the controls was distracted by an engine check during takeoff. He then lost sight of the ground because of a huge dust cloud thrown up by the rotors.
Despite a warning from the second pilot that the aircraft was veering to one side, he couldn't regain control. The chopper drifted off course in the cramped landing zone, struck a wall called a Hesco barrier and burst into flames as it crashed.
"(The pilot) had two options at the point where he lost visual references which were: (1) land the aircraft immediately or (2) continue to pull power until clear of the dust ball even if it meant to exceed engine parameters," the report said.
"The inability to choose either course of action resulted in (the pilot) entering into a hover, with no visual references, and subsequently drifting into the Hesco barrier."
The Hesco wall is a wire-mesh fence covered with canvas and filled with sand and rocks.
The poorly maintained landing area was another key factor.
"It is determined by the board that had the condition of the landing zone not resulted in the formation of an extreme dust ball during takeoff, an accident would not have occurred."
It said the pilot was worried about his engine power because the high heat (40 degrees C) and altitude degraded the chopper's performance.
The Griffon, using the call sign Shakedown 25, was destroyed in the crash.
The inquiry produced a number of recommendations regarding operating standards and procedures, training, equipment use and safety measures.
Lt-Gen. Marc Lessard, head of Canadian Expeditionary Force Command, which oversees military deployments abroad, said he is satisfied with the report.
"It is important to note that 12 out of the 18 recommendations have already been implemented during pre-deployment preparations and training in Canada and in support our forces in Afghanistan to ensure crashes of this scale are prevented in the future," he said.
The changes include improved standards for landing zones and better training in poor visibility conditions.
The military has already ended its combat role in Afghanistan, reverting to a role training Afghan forces.