By Josh Hall | @Vancan19

west of red deer

One deceased in helicopter crash west of Red Deer

Jul 7, 2025 | 6:47 AM

A helicopter crash near Red Deer on Sunday afternoon has claimed the life of one person, according to Alberta RCMP.

The Transportation Safety Board (TSB) first said Sunday that they were deploying a team to the site of the crash — the Hespero/Safron Residence Heliport, approximately 20 nautical miles from Red Deer Regional Airport.

The site is about 49 kilometres west of the city of Red Deer, just south of Highway 11, and just past Eckville.

The TSB noted the aircraft was a Bell Helicopter Textron Canada Ltd. 206L-4, and that the crash occurred during landing when the helicopter hit the terrain.

This occurred between 12 and 12:30 p.m., authorities say.

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The victim, RCMP share, is a 54-year-old woman from Benalto, Alta, and she was declared deceased on scene. The pilot, a 63-year-old Lacombe County resident, was taken by STARS to hospital in life-threatening condition.

Alberta RCMP say next of kin have been identified, and that they send their condolences to the family.

The TSB is an independent agency that investigates air, marine, pipeline, and rail transportation occurrences. Its sole aim is the advancement of transportation safety. The TSB notes it is not its function to assign fault or determine civil or criminal liability.

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