Mike W. Bryant
Northern News Services
Friday, March 16, 2007

YELLOWKNIFE - A pair of Air Tindi Twin Otters will be grounded for the next couple months after the two planes collided during a routine maintenance inspection at the company's Old Town floatbase on Wednesday morning.

A pilot was onboard one Twin Otter on skis as it sat on the ice with the engines running during the maintenance inspection.

The plane then inexplicably struck another Twin Otter nose-to-nose that was parked nearby.

The accident occurred around 9:30 a.m.

"We're not 100 per cent sure what happened but (the plane) basically got away on itself," said Teri Arychuk, Air Tindi's operations manager.

"Instead of going straight, it veered to the left and hit the other Twin Otter."

No one was hurt in the accident, but Arychuk said there was "good damage" to both planes. She couldn't say how much it will cost to repair the aircraft.

Crews were observed Wednesday working on the planes at about 11 a.m. One Twin Otter was facing east about 20-metres from the floatbase dock.

The other was facing south a short distance from the dock, and sitting perpendicular to the first Twin Otter. The southward-facing plane had a gash in its nose cone.

Arychuk said the planes suffered some wing damage as well.

"Whenever you have an impact there is some wing damage," said Arychuk.

She said both planes will be grounded for a couple of months while they undergo repairs.

One flight was cancelled Wednesday as a result of the ground collision, said Arychuk.

The company has six Series 300 Twin Otters in its fleet, according to its website.

The multi-purpose cargo and passenger planes can carry a payload of 3,500 pounds and 19 passengers. The website reports that 2006 was the company's busiest year on record.

Air Tindi was sold to Ontario-based Discovery Air in January for $20 million in cash and another $20 million in company shares.

Arychuk said losing the Twin Otters for two months will have an impact on Air Tindi's services, but is confident the company can work through the plane shortage.

"We're very busy and things are always busy but we'll make do with what we can do," said Arychuk.

"That's all we can do, work around the situation."