A CH-148 Cyclone helicopter of the Royal Canadian Navy crashed in the Ionian Sea off the coast of Greece during a NATO area surveillance operation.
Six people were on board the helicopter during the time of the accident, which happened on April 29, 2020, about 85 kilometers away from the Island of Cephalonia. After several hours of search, debris and a body were found. The five remaining occupants are still missing.
The aircraft that belonged to the 12 Wing was operating from the HMCS Fredericton frigate, currently involved in Operation Reassurance to reinforce NATO’s collective defense. Deployed since January 20, 2020, the Canadian frigate and its aircraft are part of the Standing NATO Maritime Group 2. They had just participated in surveillance operations in Greek waters that also involved Italian, Greek, and Turkish ships.
Search efforts continue with our Allies. The helicopter was operating with HMCS Fredericton as part of the Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 (SNMG2).
— Canadian Armed Forces Operations (@CFOperations) April 30, 2020
The CH-148 Cyclone helicopter, derived from the Sikorsky S-92, can carry out missions ranging from search and rescue to anti-submarine warfare thanks to an array of sonars and radars. It can transport up to 22 passengers and is operated by a crew of four people.
