PAYNTON, Sask. – A new report from the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) has concluded that a fatal helicopter crash near the village of Paynton was caused by engine failure. The accident occurred on the afternoon of Oct. 22, 2015, when a pilot and an external platform worker were using a Hughes 369D helicopter to install marker balls onto hydro lines, according to the report, which was published on Feb. 2 of this year. The engine lost power as the copter was hovering at about 100 metres above the ground, causing the aircraft to descend and hit the ground, killing both workers; a post-impact fire then destroyed the helicopter. The TSB investigation speculated that the engine failure had been caused by fatigue and overload on a compressor blade; furthermore, the aircraft had not been hovering high enough to conduct an autorotation landing successfully. “If operators do not follow manufacturer-recommended procedures when operating in an erosive/corrosive environment,” the report stated, “there is an increased risk of an undetected and premature failure of the compressor.”