The Canadian Armed Forces has identified all six members killed in a helicopter crash off the coast of Greece on Wednesday.
Details of the investigation so far were revealed during a news conference Thursday morning, usually reserved for updates on the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sub-Lieutenant Abbigail Cowbrough was onboard the CH-148 Cyclone with five others when it lost contact with HMCS Fredericton. She was not a regular member of the helicopter crew but was authorized to take part in NATO exercises, as part of Operation Reassurance.
"HMCS Fredericton was working alongside an Italian and Turkish ship and was conducting basic inter-ship serials. The Cyclone helicopter was conducting flight operations and was returning to the ship," explained General Johnathan Vance. "At approximately 6:52 p.m., the ship lost contact with aircrew, and a few minutes later, flares were spotted in the water."
The other five members are Captain Brenden Ian MacDonald of New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, Captain Kevin Hagen of Nanaimo, British Columbia, Captain Maxime Miron-Morin of Trois-Riviere, Quebec, Sub-Lieutenant Matthew Pyke of Truro, Nova Scotia, and Master Corporal Matthew Cousins of Guelph, Ontario.
"To the family and friends and shipmates of Sub-Lieutenant Cowbrough our thoughts and prayers are with you during this difficult time," said Vance. "To those of you in agony, awaiting the word on the fate of their missing loved ones, we stand with you and are searching as hard as we can."
The flight data recorder has been recovered, and investigators are on their way to the scene.
Vance said the data recorder had broken away from the wreckage. Search and rescue teams tracked a beacon to its location.
The wreckage is in about 3,000 metres of water in the Ionian Sea between Greece and Italy.
The crew had just marked 100 days of their mission and were due to return to Canada in July.
Vance said Canada's fleet of CH-148 Cyclones domestically and abroad has been placed on operation pause until the investigation can rule out mechanical issues.
The Cyclone helicopter replaced Canada's fleet of Sea King helicopters. It had 9,000 hours in the air, fleet-wide, and the military had only one other incident involving the Cyclone, a hard landing in high winds.