Canada

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    Boeing vs Cessna


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Barry Shipley

    What: Cargojet Boeing 757-200 en route from Ottawa to Hamilton
    Where: Hamilton
    When: Mar 25th 2010
    Why: While on approach to Hamilton, a small privately owned Cessna turned into the Boeing’s path (reducing the distance between the two to 1.5nm horizontally and 200 feet vertically). The Cessna—on approach to the wrong runway—was corrected by ATC; and the Boeing landed safely.

    The Cessna pilot acknowledged error on his runway approach.

    This situation brings to mind two recent collisions- the March 20 Florida collision between a Piper and an experimental plane, and the February 6 Cirrus-Piper collision in Colorado. The circumstances of the collisions are entirely different but I should poitn out that neither of those collisions occurred under the direct eye of ATC. Perhaps there are extra kudos due to Air Traffic Control (or perhaps the Boeing pilot? whoever’s quick eye caught and cured the impending crisis) for the accident that did not happen.

    It would be interesting to find out if the error is fatigue related, or if there were some other hidden cause. Anytime a collision is averted is a good thing.

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    Cargojet stuck in Canada

    What: Cargojet Boeing 727-200 en route from Hamilton to Moncton
    Where: Moncton, Canada
    When: Mar 24th 2010
    Who: 3 crew
    Why: While landing in heavy rain in Moncton, the flight hydroplaned on landing, and overran the runway and, while still undamaged, got mired in the mud. Emergency crews are working to get the plane on solid ground.

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    Toronto: Air Canada Hydraulic Leak


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Darryl Myers

    What: Air Canada Airbus A320-200 en route from Montreal to Toronto
    Where: Toronto
    When: Mar 23rd 2010
    Who: 99 (98?) passengers and 6 crew
    Why: En route, the flight had an indication of a problem with the hydraulics, followed by a problem with cabin smoke on landing. The flight crew complained of an odor in the cabin. Passengers were removed directly to the runway by emergency responders at about 9:00 am. Illness was attributed to an odor that reportedly made them sick, as well as smoke. The source of the odor, at some point, was determined to be the hydraulic fluid leak.

    Passengers aboard the flight say that even before the flight there was a peculiar odor; they were told the odor was blamed on a malfunctioning heating system

    The pilot also had complained to a steering problem, no doubt related to the leak. The plane was towed off the runway.

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    Overheated Calm Air Flight Returns to Canadian Airport


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Matthew Lee

    What: Calm Air International Saab 340B en route from Churchill to Arviat
    Where: Churchill
    When: Jan 25th 2010
    Who: 3 on board
    Why: After takeoff, the left engine made a loud noise and overheated. The crew shut down the affected engine, and returned the plane to Churchill where they made a safe landing.

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    Oil leak Returns Dash to Calgary


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer John Olafson

    What: Air Canada Jazz de Havilland Dash 8-300 en route from Calgary to Edmonton
    Where: Calgary
    When: Jan 23rd 2010
    Who: 17 on board
    Why: After takeoff, the oil pressure began to indicate instability. When oil pressure began dropping, the crew decided to return to Calgary where they made a safe landing over what ultimately was a loose cap requiring about six liters to be replaced.

    George’s Point of View

    Maintenance, maintenance, maintenance!

    A deceptively. It’s rarely such simple carelessness– there might be a gasket somewhere needing replacement we never hear about.

    Reminds me of that old homily, “For lack of a nail, the kingdom was lost.”

    Fortunately, we didn’t lose the kingdom this time because someone did their job.

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    Air Canada Fire Alert


    Pictured: An Air Canada Jazz Canadair CL-600-2B19 Regional Jet CRJ-200ER
    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Alevik

    What: Air Canada Jazz Canadair CRJ-200 en route from Victoria to Calgary
    Where: Vancouver
    When: Jan 5th 2010
    Who: not available
    Why: While en route, the crew reported a fire alert. They diverted to Vancouver, apparently handling the fire on approach; and they made a safe landing in Vancouver, where the plane was looked over.

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    Westjet Flies with Cabin Pressure Problem


    Pictured: A WestJet Boeing 737-7CT Vieux Fort St. Lucia
    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Gianni Deligny

    What: Westjet Airlines Boeing 737-700 en route from Victoria to Calgary
    Where: Victoria
    When: Dec 30th 2009
    Who: not available
    Why: After takeoff, the plane developed a problem with cabin pressure. The flight flew at a lower altitude and continued on to Calgary where it landed safely.

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    Delta Amsterdam-Atlanta Makes Emergency Landing in Canada


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Eduard Brantjes

    What: Delta Airlines Boeing 767-300 en route from Amsterdam to Atlanta, Georgia
    Where: Gander Canada
    When: Dec 22nd 2009
    Who: not available
    Why: While en route, the flight developed a pressure problem, and diverted to Gander, NL with unstable cabin pressure. The flight made a successful landing, after passengers debarked normally, were eventually provided alternative transportation.

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    Tarmac Fatality

    What: Canadian North Airlines Boeing 737-200
    Where: Calgary International Airport
    When: Dec 21, 2009 6 a.m.
    Who: 1 (non-flight) crew
    Why: During a standard de-icing procedure engaged in flight preparation on a loaded passenger transport, a Servisair ground worker fell out of a cherry picker (bucket truck), striking the tarmac more than 8 feet down. He was not wearing his safety gear, and was discovered by another worker de-icing the opposite side of the plane. None of the 33 passengers on the flight witnessed the fall.

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    Porter Airlines Emergency Landing in Toronto


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

    What: Porter Airlines de Havilland Dash 8-400 en route from Montreal to Toronto
    Where: Toronto
    When: Dec 3rd 2009
    Who: 52 on board
    Why: On approach to Toronto, about ten minutes before landing, the crew received indication of a technical problem.

    The flight made a safe landing with emergency standing by.

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    Sikorsky Still Being Researched

    The (Canadian) Transportation Safety Board is still investigating the cause of the Cougar Flight 491 crash, which killed 17 people.

    Sikorsky claims to have proven that the chances of an oil leak from the gearbox housing is extremely unlikely.

    However:

    The gearbox of the Sikorsky S-92A model hadn’t passed a 30 minute dry-run test which is an industry standard that required it to run for 30 minutes without oil.

    The gearbox fell about 20 minutes short of the goal when it was run at moderate speeds after oil was rapidly drained.

    European regulators say the test proved the helicopter could only stay in the air for “around 10 minutes after an oil loss, and question if the cooler would be the only likely source of oil leakage.

    On March 12, 2009, about 0926, Atlantic Daylight Time, a Sikorsky S-92A helicopter operated by Cougar Helicopters, impacted the waters of the North Atlantic about 28 miles east of Cape Spear near St. John’s, Newfoundland. Two pilots and 16 passengers were on board. One passenger survived with serious injuries, but the other occupants were fatally injured.

    The helicopter was en route from St. John’s International Airport to an offshore oil platform in the Hibernia oil field. The pilot made a MAYDAY call due to a mechanical difficulty, and was returning to St. John’s. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The sea had 3 – 5 meter swells.

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    Helicopter Crash NE of Montreal Kills 1, Injures 2

    What: Robinson R44 Raven II Helicopter
    Where: Baie-Comeau, 700 kilometres northeast of Montreal on a sandbar in the middle of the Franquelin River
    When: Thursday November 12, 2 pm
    Who: 58-year-old man and two women in their thirties
    Why: Investigators are looking into into whether or not the helicopter struck a power line. A “hydro line” not far from the crash was severed and the crash caused a power outage in Godbout-Franquelin.

    The pilot died and the two seriously hurt passengers were taken to Quebec City hospital.

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    Nellis: Canadian Hornet Jettisons Tanks


    Pictured: A Canada – Air Force McDonnell Douglas CF-188A Hornet (CF-18A)
    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Rod Dermo

    What: Canadian CF-18 Hornet en route from McCarran International Airport
    Where: Nellis Air Force Base
    When: Oct. 24, 2009
    Who: Not Available
    Why: Pilots declared an in-flight emergency, jettisoned its external fuel tanks (full fuel tanks add weight to landings making them perilous), and made an emergency landing at Nellis Air Force Base. Although a cause has not been officially released, the incident is purportedly attributed to engine problems.

    Tanks landed on federal property.

    No injuries were reported.

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    Jazz: Engine Problems over Canada


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Galen Burrows

    What: Air Canada Jazz Canadair CRJ-200 en route from Moncton to Montreal
    Where: en route
    When: Oct 17th 2009
    Who: 3 crew
    Why: After departure from Moncton, 35 minutes into the flight, the crew declared an emergency. Oil pressure dropped in their right engine, so they idled it, and continued to Montreal for a safe landing.

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    Tragic Crash Kills Ontario Family


    Pictured: A Piper PA-28R-180 Cherokee Arrow
    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Luc Brousseau

    What: Piper PA-28R-180 Cherokee Arrow en route from Kingston to Sudbury, Ontario
    Where: Devine Lake in Algonquin Park
    When: Saturday October 10
    Who: Pilot Kevin Houle, wife Lorraine Houle, granddaughter Emily and her boyfriend, Michael Rollins
    Why: It is speculated that the plane ran into weather as a distress call was heard from the plane, and the weather was rainy and icy at the time.

    The plane hit a tree and one of the wings was broken.

    The family was killed in the crash.

    The plane belonged to Kevin’s company, Tracks & Wheels Equipment Brokers. Kevin had been a pilot for a couple of years.

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    Medical Emergency Yesterday: Media Potshots Tomorrow


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer John Richard Thomson

    What: Aeroflot A332 en route from Havana to Moscow
    Where: 320nm southeast of New York
    When: Oct 8th 2009
    Who: full plane
    Why: While en route and still south east of New York, a German passenger became ill. The crew asked to divert to New York but instead landed in Toronto Canada.

    They were not cleared to land in NY.

    George’s Point of View

    The report says that a crew “talking very good English” reported the medical crisis. Simply based on the way that is phrased, one might assume that perhaps that English wasn’t quite as well-spoken as the claim asserts. Or perhaps there may have been weather issues. Or traffic issues. (When does New York NOT have traffic issues?) Or perhaps we are simply living in a post 9/11 America.

    At least, we are told that the German passenger who had suffered vomiting appears to be recovering nicely.

    I am sure in the days to come, this non-event (after all, nothing seriously untoward happened) is something that will be investigated and published. It is too ripe an opportunity for U.S. detractors to miss aiming some kind of anti-American propaganda toward.

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    Air Canada Bird Strike over Montreal


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact Photographer Mark Kryst

    What: Air Canada Embraer ERJ-190 en route from Orlando to Montreal
    Where: Montreal
    When: Jun 21st 2009
    Who: 85 people on board
    Why: After a normal lift-off and flight, on approach to Montreal, birds struck the plane’s right wing lodging the flaps in an extended position. Despite the slat problem, the plane landed safely within 20 minutes of the strike.

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    NO CRASH in Calgary.

    What: Westjet Airlines Boeing 737-600 en route from Calgary to Saskatoon (Canada)
    Where: Calgary’s runway 34
    When: Apr 23rd 2009
    Why: The plane was in position on Calgary’s runway 34 when Canadair CRJ-700 flight QK-8339 from Winnipeg,MB to Calgary was cleared to cross runway 34. The error was recognized; takeoff clearance was revoked, the Jazz CRJ cleared the runway; and then the Canadair flight was cleared again for takeoff.

    George’s Point of View

    My favorite event is a non-event. The accident that didn’t happen.

    So first he (the Boeing) is on runway 34 ready to go, then Air Traffic Control realizes they’re making a mistake because the Jazz about to cross the same runway, so Air Traffic Control stops him, and the other plane (the Jazz) goes ahead and crosses the runway, and they clear him (the Boeing); this time when he is cleared to go again the way is actually clear, and the Westjet Boeing manages to take off without any more issues.

    Except possibly a bottle of Tums for the pilot and crew; and glasses and a caffeine adjustment for Air Traffic Control.

    I can’t help but picture the scene in that 1981 movie Modern Problems (that no one but me saw) where two air traffic controllers go over the edge; one believing he’s moving a model plane around with his mind, and the other actually doing it.
    .

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    Airbus Loses Control in Montreal


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Mark Kryst – YXUphoto
    What: Air Canada Airbus A320-200 en route from Montreal Trudeau Canada to Fort Lauderdale, FL
    Where: Montreal
    When: Apr 14th 2009
    Why: After reporting problems to air traffic control and returning to Montreal, on final approach to runway 06L the crew experienced “severe mechanical turbulence” and momentarily lost control of the plane. However, the plane landed safely; and shortly afterwards, the passengers were off to their destination–on board another Airbus.

    *Mechanical turbulence is turbulence around buildings, wind eddies not caused by thermal means.