Open this photo in gallery:
People stand on a property near where a helipcoter crashed earlier in the day, near Rang des Ecossais, Que., on Saturday.Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press
Federal aviation safety experts are investigating a helicopter crash in a rural area southeast of Montreal on Saturday that killed all four people on board.
The fiery crash claimed the lives of three members of a Quebec family celebrating a birthday, and also killed the pilot, according to social-media posts.
“On September 26, part of my world flew away into the sky,” Océane Perreault wrote on Facebook. “A helicopter ride that was supposed to mark my wonderful mom’s birthday turned into a tragedy I could never have imagined.”
Ms. Perreault said the crash – which she witnessed – killed her mother, Chantal Raymond; her partner, Gabriel Jasmin; and her brother, Loucas Perreault. Mr. Jasmin was a host at radio station Énergie Sherbrooke. He and Ms. Perreault have a young daughter.
“I have no words to describe the pain, the shock and the emptiness I feel. Three people I love more than anything have left far too soon, right before my eyes,” Ms. Perreault wrote.
Martin Perreault, her father, wrote on Facebook that his wife, Chantal, was his “better half for almost 40 years.” He called his son Loucas “my pride, my successor,” and said Mr. Jasmin was a loving father who “had taken such a big place in our family.”
Four dead in helicopter crash near Montreal
Pilot Suzanne Jutras was also killed in the crash, according to a Facebook post by a local branch of an agricultural union that said her partner has a farm in the area. The helicopter went down in a field in Sainte-Brigide-d’Iberville, about 50 kilometres from Montreal.
“Our thoughts are with you in these moments of great sorrow,” said the post by the board of directors of the Haut-Richelieu region of L’Union des producteurs agricoles.
Ms. Jutras was also remembered on social media by the Félixeries, a festival that took place earlier this month in Saint-Félix-de-Kingsey, Que. The festival called Ms. Jutras, who provided helicopter tours for the event, its “favourite pilot.”
“We salute you. … Thank you for sending us soaring through the air with your kindness.”
Ms. Jutras became a helicopter pilot in 2020, according to her LinkedIn profile.
The helicopter crashed after experiencing unknown difficulty around 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, said Nancy Fournier, a spokesperson for the Sûreté du Québec, the provincial police force. The bodies of four people were found in the charred wreckage, she said.
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada sent two investigators to the crash site to “assess the occurrence and gather information,” TSB spokesman Nic Defalco said in an e-mail.
Federal Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon offered condolences to those affected by the tragedy and said his department would appoint a minister’s observer to monitor the investigation.
“The safety of civil aviation operations is Transport Canada’s highest priority,” he said in a social-media post. “The department will continue to closely monitor the situation on the ground and stands ready to provide support and work with all relevant parties as the situation develops.”