Air Tindi crash investigation continues
Airline changes policies following 2014 incident
Shane Magee
Northern News Services
Wednesday, November 25, 2015
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
The president of Air Tindi says the airline no longer uses the type of plane involved in a crash landing on Great Slave Lake a year ago in certain weather conditions.
All six people aboard this Air Tindi Cessna Caravan survived after the pilot was forced to make an emergency landing Nov. 20, 2014. - photo courtesy of Transportation Safety Board of Canada |
"Around this time of year is the hardest for weather when ice is building up and weather conditions are variable," Alasdair Martin said Monday. "During this time, we're very vigilant and we've put more controls in place to restrict the use of the aircraft that was involved so we've been running different aircraft when conditions have required."
The Cessna 208-B, or Caravan, had been scheduled Nov. 19, 2014 to fly from Yellowknife to Fort Simpson but was delayed until the next morning because of weather conditions.
After takeoff, the pilot requested permission to return to the airport because of icy conditions, according to a preliminary Transport Canada report. However, the pilot declared an emergency not long afterward and made the landing on the frozen surface of the lake.
There were no serious injuries to the pilot or five passengers who were rescued several hours after the landing about 18 kilometres west of the city.
Air Tindi has also completed an internal investigation and the results were sent to the Transportation Safety Board of Canada.
Martin declined to elaborate on the findings of the internal review.
"We've been doing everything we can to provide information (to the board) and we're keen to learn what we can to help other operators learn, if there is anything to be learned," he said.
The company has also revised its emergency response plan.
"If ever we have an incident, I'm a lot more comfortable we're ready to respond and provide assistance," he said.
The briefing of passengers before the flight about emergency exit procedures has changed and an emergency kit on the plane was moved to make it easier to access, he said.
The pilot of the plane was flying for the company again within about a week, Martin said.
The plane itself, which had to be disassembled and flown back to the city by helicopter, was considered a write-off.
The Transportation Safety Board investigation of the crash landing is still being completed.
"The investigation is ongoing and we'll let everyone know when the report is out for release," said Eric Collard, spokesman for the independent investigative agency.
