The Canadian Armed Forces has released a brief summary of the circumstances surrounding the crash of a Cormorant helicopter at 9 Wing Gander on March 10.

There were six people on board the aircraft when the incident occurred. Three of the six suffered minor injuries, while two were sent to hospital with serious injuries.

The investigator says the aircraft, known as “Outcast 903” was scheduled for two training missions at 9 Wing Gander.

At the end of the first training mission, the crew conducted hover maneouvers at the intersection of runways 31 and 21.

During the final clockwise hover turn sequence, the pilot’s seat suddenly and unexpectedly dropped. That caused the aircraft to change from a clockwise rotation to the opposite direction. The aircraft yawed left, causing the helicopter to bank to the right. That’s when the right wheel, horizontal stabilizer and main rotor blades struck the runway.

The crash resulted in serious damage to the helicopter and the investigation into the cause is focusing on material and human factors.