This Cessna Caravan was forced to make an emergency landing last Thursday on Great Slave Lake. - photo courtesy of Transportation Safety Board of Canada |
Air Tindi to review procedures
Airline president says he supports pilot who made emergency landing
John McFadden
Northern News Services
Published Wednesday, November 26, 2014
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Air Tindi is reviewing its policies and procedures in the wake of last Thursday's emergency landing on Great Slave Lake.
That's according to Al Martin, president of Air Tindi. A single-engine Cessna Caravan en route to Fort Simpson with a pilot and five passengers aboard, set down on the ice of the lake, about 30 kilometres west of the airport. The flight took off at 6:44 a.m., according to Transport Canada's flight incident report database. The report indicates that 20 minutes into the flight, when the aircraft was still climbing, the pilot requested clearance to return to Yellowknife due to icing conditions. The pilot then declared a mayday before landing on the lake.
"Our review will look at all aspects of the event and will include the Transportation Safety Board (TSB)," Martin said.
He would not speculate at this point on what the review may reveal or what changes, if any, it may prompt.
"We have full confidence in our pilot. He's one of our most experienced pilots," Martin said.
The pilot accessed weather data from Nav Canada, the agency that provides pilots with weather conditions and he then called Nav Canada to verify the data, Martin said.
"That information did not show any freezing rain in the area. It wasn't until he was in the air that he encountered freezing rain," Martin said.
Data from Environment Canada showed it was snowing at 6 a.m. but visibility was still more than 24 kilometres. By 7 a.m. it was still snowing and visibility had dropped to less than 20 kilometres. It wasn't until 8 a.m., after the plane had made the emergency landing, that Environment Canada reported freezing drizzle, snow and fog and that visibility had dropped to less than three kilometres.
Martin said the decision to take off was the pilot's alone which is their procedure.
"He has our full support. We trust his judgment. He took off from Yellowknife based on the information that was available to him," said Martin.
"He had cancelled the flight the previous night because of weather conditions.
"In fact, in October we either cancelled flights or upgraded to larger planes about 60 times due to weather conditions."
Air Tindi is not releasing the pilot's name at this point.
"He hasn't been flying since (the emergency landing) but we are looking to bring him back when he's ready," Martin said. "He is keen to fly again but we want to make sure he's comfortable."
Martin said about a half dozen Air Tindi workers are involved in the salvage operation to retrieve the plane. Workers set up a camp on Sunday at the crash site, described as being about 10 kilometres, as the crow flies, from where Boundary Creek intersects Highway 3. Martin said the crew had pitched tents to keep warm but added they wouldn't be staying at the site overnight.
"It took four helicopter trips to get their equipment to the site including a heavy-duty crane."
"They have used snowmobiles to get to the site and are continuing to assess how best to get the plane safely back to Yellowknife. He said the wings are being removed and the main part of the plane will be carried back to Yellowknife by a helicopter, using a sling. He said he expects it may take a half dozen trips in total to get the pieces of the plane and the salvage gear back to the city.
"It's very cold work at this point. The ice was about 12 inches thick last week where the plane landed. "I suspect it is even thicker now with the cold temperatures."
Part of the operation also involves cleaning up fuel that spilled from a damaged wing.
"The fuel is also being drained from the wing that wasn't damaged," Martin said. He expects it will take until the end of this week to have the site cleared. As to whether that plane will ever fly again, Martin said that will be up to the insurance company.
"If the cost to repair it outweighs its worth, then it will be deemed a write off by the insurance company," he said.
Martin said he had a meeting with Transportation Safety Board officials on Monday. He said they had provided the TSB with every bit of information Air Tindi has on the incident.
"They also met with out senior staff and the pilot," Martin said. "We also helped facilitate a meeting with the passengers Sunday before they left for home on Monday.
Chris Krepski, a spokesperson for the TSB, said the full investigation continues.
"Right now we are in the first phase which is to gather information, examine the aircraft, interview witnesses and gather information about aircraft maintenance and training," he said.
"The second phase is to analyze the information we have gathered and the third phase involves the writing of a report. The full investigation can take at least a year but that timing can vary."
Four of the five passengers aboard the Yellowknife to Fort Simpson flight left for home on Monday. They made it as far as Fort Providence Monday night and arrived in Fort Simpson Tuesday afternoon. "They travelled by vehicle which was their choice. I didn't press them at all on flying home," Martin said.
"We had dinner with them Sunday night at the Explorer Hotel where we had put them up since Thursday. The fifth passenger had left Yellowknife for Fort Simpson by vehicle on Friday morning. We covered their meals and accommodation while they were in Yellowknife."
The passengers thanked all the first responders, the rescuers and the City of Yellowknife in a news release they issued Tuesday afternoon. They stated that those people should be commended.
The passengers had survived a horrific and traumatic crash, the release stated. They also asked the public and media to respect their need for privacy so that they could overcome the emotional impact of their ordeal.
- with files from Randi Beers
