The Transportation Safety Board says the investigation into Wednesday's fatal helicopter accident in Mont Laurier could take up to a year.
CTV cameraman Hugh Haugland and pilot Roger Belanger died in the crash.
The pair were flying over Mont Laurier to examine the damage caused by Tuesday's F2-strength tornado when the helicopter dropped suddenly, then hit a power line and crashed.
Belanger was very well-known in the region, and CTV crews stopping at a donut shop 100 kilometres from Mont Laurier ran into people who knew the pilot and could not believe he had died.
On Thursday, people were also stopping at the site of the crash, shaking their heads and mourning the loss of two well-liked men.
Claude Bouchard was one of the people who helped clean up the wreckage.
"We knew the pilot, but even if you didn't know either of the victims, it's two lives that ended," said Bouchard.
The Transportation Safety Board has hauled the wreckage to Ottawa for their in-depth examination.
According to Pierre Gavillet of the TSB, at this point officials do not know if the helicopter crashed because of a mechanical problem or pilot error.
"We also look into the medical records of the pilot to see if there was anything that may have contributed to the accident," said Gavillet.
Pilot error unlikely
Colleagues of Belanger said that pilot error is impossible.
Business partner Denis Soucy said that Belanger is widely regarded as one of the best pilots in the province.
He also heard the helicopter's engine sputter, and saw the crash.
"He was the most respected pilot of the area. He was known all over Quebec," said Soucy. "For the pilots here he was like the reference, the guy you ask 'if this possible or not possible to do in an aircraft or an helicopter'"
A mechanical issue seems more likely, since on Wednesday morning TVA cameraman Martin Leblanc said it took Belanger three tries to start the helicopter before he took a short flight.
Belanger had been treated for cancer in the past, but it was in remission and by all accounts he was in good shape.
If you wish, you may click here to deliver your condolences to the famlies of Hugh Haugland or Roger Belanger.
