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A frightening flight Passenger says plane travelling to Fort Good Hope from Inuvik nosedived
Kassina Ryder
Northern News Services
Published Monday, June 24, 2013
INUVIK/FORT GOOD HOPE
Roger Anderson says he hopes what he experienced on a flight from Inuvik to Fort Good Hope on June 19 never happens to anyone else.
"I hope something positive will come out of this experience so no one else has to go through this on an aircraft," he said.
Anderson said problems began soon after he and other passengers boarded the six-seat North Wright Airways Cessna 207 in Inuvik.
"We got on the plane and we attempted the first time to take off, then came back, then took off the second time," he said. "It was a shaky climb until he (the pilot) reached his cruising altitude."
About 15 minutes later, Anderson said he heard a scream.
Anderson, who was sitting at the front of the aircraft in the seat beside the pilot, said the scream came from a woman sitting behind the pilot. She had noticed the window on the aircraft's door was open.
Anderson said he reached behind the pilot's seat and attempted to close it.
"I instinctively reached over and closed the window," he said.
Anderson said he remembered pulling the window closed then turning the crank mechanism clockwise to lock it in place.
That's when the plane plunged downward.
"During that motion or that action, the nose of the plane went down, everyone including myself gasped at that point," Anderson said. "I don't know what happened from a technical standpoint, but I do know the nose dipped as if we were going straight to the ground."
The pilot righted the aircraft and continued to fly, but Anderson said he and other passengers were petrified. He said the door appeared to be shaking and he spent the rest of the flight holding onto the door handle, just in case.
"I held on to that door so I would be close to the window and be able to help again if needed," he said.
Anderson said he is grateful to the pilot for managing to operate and land the aircraft.
"I'd like to thank the pilot for taking us safely in what I believe must have been very difficult circumstances," he said. "I was terrified and everyone on that plane was terrified, so I imagine he was in great difficulty. I would like to thank him again for his excellent ability and his skill in getting us safely on the ground."
David James, operations manager for North Wright Airways, sent an e-mail statement to News/North about the incident.
He stated that turbulence caused the window to open and that passengers were not in danger. He also stated that the aircraft's pilot closed the window.
"The company has investigated the reporting regarding the window opening in flight. It was opened due to turbulence and was closed by the pilot not putting passengers safety at risk," James stated. "The flight was rough due to gusty winds and hotter weather with all aircraft the last few days."
But Anderson said he knows he was the one who closed the window.
"I know the latch I closed," he said. "I remember distinctly it was the feel of a window in a typical house. It closes in a clockwise direction. I had to pull it down to close it."
Regardless of who closed the window, Anderson said he hopes the experience will improve airline safety in the North.
He has written a letter to David Ramsay, territorial Minister of Transportation and another to the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB), which he plans to send this week.
"We can never eliminate accidents, but certainly, in my humble opinion, we should not have to fly on an aircraft that has a window opening in flight and also even the lever on my door was shaking and coming up during the flight," he said.
Anderson said the pilot did not communicate with passengers about the incident during the flight.
In his statement, James said airline crew members have now been instructed to explain incidents to passengers when they occur to help alleviate stress.
"The crew has been advised to communicate more with passengers when something occurs to reassure all passengers whom we realize do not all enjoy flying," he stated. "We would like smooth weather for every flight, however, it is a reality that we have rough weather days all around the world even on larger aircraft where turbulence is encountered making a rough flight."
Anderson said he has flown many times in the North and has never had an incident similar to the one he experienced last week.
"I've done many, many flights, too many to remember," he said.
He said he believes flying in the North should be held to the same safety standards as the rest of Canada.
"In my opinion, if a window opens in flight, I don't think this is supposed to happen on an aircraft," he said. "We should expect first-class travelling conditions as anywhere else in Canada. I will never be comfortable with the idea that this is normal."
As of press deadline, the TSB had no reports of the incident.
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