The remains of the cockpit could be seen lying on its side and the rotor blade was seemingly completely shredded at the base of a metal tower

The Transportation Safety Board is investigating how a Canadian Coast Guard helicopter crashed in spectacular fashion Thursday in northern Quebec.

Thursday afternoon, residents of Puvirnituq, Que., a small Inuit community in Nunavik near the Hudson Bar, were stunned to hear a Canadian Coast Guard Bell 429 helicopter crash right by the airport on the outskirts of the village.

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Residents soon began posting pictures of the wreckage on social media showing the helicopter ripped in two, with the remains of the cockpit lying on its side and the rotor blade seemingly completely shredded at the base of a metal tower, all the while the tail boom lied completely detached, meters away.

This afternoon, a @CoastGuardCAN helicopter, piloted by a @Transport_gc pilot crashed near Puvirnituq, Quebec.

What seemed to be emergency safety equipment laid, deployed, around the helicopter’s cockpit and landing gear.

Friday, Transport Canada spokesperson Hicham Ayoun confirmed that the accident occurred Thursday and that the vehicle’s sole occupant was unscathed.

“The Bell 429 helicopter involved in the crash is owned by the Canadian Coast Guard and operated and maintained by Transport Canada. There were no reported injuries, and the pilot was the sole occupant,” Ayoun said in a statement.

“The helicopter was heavily damaged. Transport Canada is reviewing the incident and will work with the Canadian Coast Guard, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada and other authorities.”

In a statement, the Transportation Safety Board (TSB) confirmed that it had deployed a team of investigators to Puvirnituq to determine the cause of the accident.

Neither the TSB nor Transport Canada stated what was the suspected cause for the crash. On social media, residents of the village boasting a population of roughly 2,000 people shared information about what occurred and confirmed that no one was injured in the crash.

According to one resident who said their mother saw the crash happen while picking berries, a cargo hook underneath the helicopter may have gotten caught on a nearby metal structure, leading to the crash.

Nunavik Police Service deputy of operations Jean-François Morin told CBC North that the crash happened near a popular berry-picking spot, so there were many witnesses to the crash who were able to rush to help.

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