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Category: <span>Northern Thunderbird Air</span>

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Northern Thunderbird Air Sued for 2011 Crash

Here’s a case that did not rush to court.

Six passengers of the October 2011 crash listed below have filed suit against Northern Thunderbird Air. The pilot and co-pilot, Luc Fortin and Matt Robic died shortly after the crash. Seven passengers were rescued six of whom are listed in the suit. Prior to takeoff, passengers informed the crew they saw oil under the wing. After takeoff, the pilot told the passengers he would be returning because oil was pouring from the wing.

The helicopter hit a lamp post, a car and smashed up on the road. An additional part of the suit is that the plane lacked an electrical cutoff switch to reduce fire threat.

NTSB Report:
On October 27, 2011, about 1600 pacific daylight time, a Beechcraft King Air 100, C-GXRX, operated by Northern Thunderbird Air, Inc. collided with terrain while attempting to land at the Vancouver International Airport, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and an instrument flight rules flight plan was in effect. The airplane sustained substantial damage, and a postcrash fire ensued. The pilot was killed. The copilot, seven passengers, and two people on the ground were seriously injured. The accident investigation is under the jurisdiction and control of the Canadian government.


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Northern Thunderbird Air Crash in Vancouver BC


Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Dana Low

What: Northern Thunderbird Air Beechcraft 100 King Air en route from Vancouver International Airport to Kelowna International Airport
Where: Russ Baker Way, near Vancouver International Airport, Canada
When: Oct 27, 2011 4 pm
Who: 9 occupants, 2 fatalities
Why: Reporting difficulty to ATC after a warning light came on in the cabin fifteen minutes after takeoff, the pilot, Luc Fortin attempted to return to the airport. The plane crash landed short of the runway. On impact, the fuselage separated from the tail section by 10 yards and was on fire beside the road. Fortin died of his injuries, and the co-pilot died later with burns on 80% of his body. There were 9 people aboard, and all of them were hospitalized. The plane had hit the ground and skidded, it’s wing striking a car. Two on the ground (in the car) were injured by debris.

Fortin, a 14,000-hour pilot, died at Vancouver General Hospital, and leaves a wife Dagne and sixteen month old daughter Katelyn.

After weeks in intensive care, co-pilot, Matt Robic, 26, died at Vancouver General Hospital on November 16, 2011 with 80% burns. He leaves his wife Natalie Redfearn.

On landing on Russ Baker Way (street), the plane burst into flames. Passersby on the street pulled over and rushed to the burning plane to pull those aboard from the flames. Initially both pilots were alive and were rushed to the hospital in critical condition. Read the accounts of some of those involved by following the “read more” link below.

The flight had been chartered as a private rental by an executive group with business in Kelowna.

Jeremy Kerr, John Redmond, Haim Peri, Shawn Nagurny, Lonney Lee and half a dozen other good samaritans had been driving by (or worked in the immediate area) and pulled over to run into the burning plane and rescue those aboard. Thanks to their efforts, seven people survived. Carolyn Cross, Lorelei Sobolik, Cameron Sobolik, Tony (Troy?) Zanatta, Kelly Jablonski, Jeff McCord were among the survivors.

The black box and data therein was recovered.

Survivor audio


Raw Video

Read more

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