Simpson residents hail pilot
Plane en route to village forced to land on Great Slave Lake in bad weather
Shane Magee and Randi Beers
Northern News Services
Published Monday, November 24, 2014
NORTHWEST TERRITORIES
Fort Simpson residents are lauding the efforts of the pilot who made an emergency landing on Great Slave Lake with five passengers on board after running into bad weather Thursday morning.
The Air Tindi single-engine Cessna Caravan took off from Yellowknife bound for Fort Simpson at 6:44 a.m., according to Transport Canada. About 20 minutes into the flight while still climbing, the pilot requested clearance to return to the city due to icing conditions.
The pilot declared a mayday 15 minutes later and made an emergency landing on Great Slave Lake.
"I've got to give the pilot credit," said A.J. Augier as he drank a cup of tea at the Nahanni Inn on Friday. "The person who was flying should be given an award."
He credits the pilot's actions for saving the lives of those on the flight.
It was a sentiment others in the community shared, including Dolly Tsetso, who sat at a nearby table.
Fort Simpson residents Doris Erasmus and Ron Antoine were on the aircraft, according to multiple people in the village, including Tsetso. They could not be reached for comment by press time.
The first few hours after learning something happened to the plane were worrying, said Tsetso.
Then came word all on board had been rescued and taken back to Yellowknife.
"Thank God for that, it was very scary at first," she said.
In an interview Nov. 20, Nahendeh MLA Kevin Menicoche said he was relieved to hear his constituents were safe.
The early hours when people weren't sure what happened were stressful for family and community members, he said.
"I just pray to God that it never happens again," Tsetso said, adding that the incident doesn't make her more worried about flying.
Living in the community for about 20 years, Augier said he's flown many times. He now prefers to drive when it's not an emergency. This time of year, he said the weather can make flying too worrisome.
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada is opening a preliminary investigation into the incident.
RCMP received the call by 7:30 a.m. and set up an emergency command centre along Highway 3 near Boundary Creek, northwest of Yellowknife, soon after. Multiple Behchoko and Yellowknife RCMP vehicles, an RCMP mobile command unit, at least three ambulances from Behchoko and Yellowknife, Canadian military vehicles carrying snowmobiles and off-road vehicles and an Air Tindi van were all stationed at the site.
RCMP search and rescue were able to reach the site at 11:30 a.m. using snowmobiles and all-terrain vehicles and the plane's five passengers and pilot were evacuated to Yellowknife by helicopter.
"They were roughly 10 kilometres as the crow flies from (Boundary Creek) so it was a good little ways," said Cpl. Todd Scaplen.
"We utilized the Yellowknife fire department's all-terrain (vehicles) and their equipment so we were able to get to them ... they had a little campfire going and they were taking it all in stride."
He said the area of Great Slave Lake where the plane landed is "littered with small islands" and the group had made its way to one of those islands to set up the campfire.
Thin ice was a concern during the rescue, said Scaplen.
"There are still spots on the lake with thin ice and open water," he said.
The Yellowknife to Fort Simpson flight was originally scheduled to fly on Wednesday evening but the flight was postponed due to weather, said Air Tindi president Al Martin.
When asked about speculation that the flight left earlier than planned Thursday morning to beat freezing rain, Martin said he would be very surprised to learn one of his pilots had risked flying in bad weather.
"We deal with bad weather conditions in the North," he said. "Ultimately, the pilot makes the call based on input from other sources."
Jill Ritchot, a spokesperson for Transport Canada, confirmed Thursday afternoon in an e-mail that the department is sending an observer to verify Air Tindi is following Canadian aviation regulations.
"The department will not hesitate to take immediate action if any safety issues are identified," she said in the e-mail.
The Canadian military dispatched a Hercules aircraft from Winnipeg shortly after 8 a.m. after hearing the Air Tindi pilot had called in a mayday due to icing.
"The pilot has made safe forced landing, but at the moment when he calls in a mayday, that triggers some action from the rescue co-ordination centre," said Capt. Alexandre Cadieux, public affairs officer with the Canadian Air Division.
Search and rescue specialists on the aircraft had the ability to parachute onto the ice and provide emergency support.
However, by the time the Hercules arrived to the scene, local search and rescue had the situation under control and the team did not need to be deployed, said Cadieux.
- with files from Cody Punter
