Southwestern Ontario man killed in military helicopter crash

PETAWAWA, Ont – One of the two crew members killed after a Royal Canadian Air Force helicopter crashed this week was originally from Woodstock, military officials said Friday.

Capt. David Domagala, 32, died Tuesday when a CH-147 Chinook helicopter crashed during a training mission near the Ottawa River just after midnight with four crew members on board.

While two of the crew members on board were found by Garrison Petawawa firefighters shortly after the crash with minor injuries and were released from hospital, Domagala and Capt. Marc Larouche, 53, were originally reported missing. The bodies of Domagala and Larouche were recovered Tuesday evening after an extensive search operation in the area.

Their identities were confirmed by military officials and made public Friday.

“We are reminded today that this can be dangerous work, whether it’s carried out in support of military operations or while training for those operations,” Gen. Wayne Eyre, chief of the defense staff, said earlier this week.

“Our people know the risks and they take them willingly because they understand the importance of their work.”

The search involved about 50 Canadian Armed Forces members on shore and in the water, with help from an Ontario Provincial Police marine unit, Petawawa and Pembroke fire departments and several military rescue aircraft.

Domagala originally served in the Canadian Army Reserve before applying to become a pilot. After graduating from the Royal Military College, he completed pilot training and was posted to the 450 Tactical Helicopter Squadron in 2019. He deployed as a liaison officer on Operation CALUMET in Egypt, for which he received a commander commendation from the Canadian Joint Operations Command. He began his training on the CH-147F Chinook upon redeployment, Armed Forces officials said.

Larouche was originally from Amos, Que., and had earned his private pilot’s license before joining the Royal Canadian Air Force.

The military has not said anything about what caused the crash. Military officials also declined to speculate on what may have caused the crash while the investigation is underway.

Officials said the group was carrying out a normal nighttime training event for first officer pilots, and there were two pilots and two aircrew members on board.

There was a recording device on the helicopter, but it is not clear whether it has been recovered from the wreckage.

Former Royal Canadian Air Force commander Andre Deschamps said the fact that the crash happened on water complicates the efforts of investigators. “The Ottawa River is a pretty fast-moving river, so it’s always difficult to deal with submerged platforms,” he said in an interview earlier this week.

The retired lieutenant-general said the investigation would have started “almost on a parallel track” to the rescue and recovery mission.

The military’s fleet of 15 Chinooks is used to transport troops and equipment and is designed for long-haul flights.

The helicopters have also been deployed to help with natural disasters in Canada and to provide emergency medical evacuations during an operation in Mali in 2018 and 2019.

Last August, the United States military grounded its fleet of 400 Chinook helicopters after several reports that fuel leaks had caused engine fires. No injuries or deaths had been reported.

At the time, a spokesperson for the Department of National Defense said there had not been any such issues with the Royal Canadian Air Force fleet and that the Canadian military would be in touch with Boeing, the manufacturer.

The Royal Canadian Air Force announced Thursday the Petawawa-based 450 Tactical Helicopter Squadron would resume regular flying activities with its CH-147F Chinook helicopters.