Fatal floatplane crash west of Red Lake

[LifeAt90Kts]

http://www.ckdr.net/news/1736598383/dow ... -two-lives

[5x5]

Very sad.

I heard it was a PA12 though, not that it really matters.

[DonutHole]

Hey 5.. know any names? PM if you do, I find this concerning

[Mr. North]

Anyone know anything else about this incident? I was informed today that it was a prominent Red Lake businessman and new owner of Viking Outposts.

[Mr. North]

http://www.tsb.gc.ca/eng/rapports-repor ... c0053.html

Pilots should consider their abilities, experience, and the aircraft's capabilities when planning and conducting flights, especially when gusty surface winds and moderate turbulence are forecast along the route of flight.

Sadly this type of accident happens all too often. Unfortunately the small, brief nature of these accidents largely go unnoticed by new pilots but the lessons couldn't be more important. It does not matter how much life experience you have prior to taking to the air, if you don't fly within your limits, if you don't respect the wind (weather), you're operating at considerable risk. Every low timer makes mistakes, that's why it's important to check your ego - give yourself a good margin of error and fly within a forgiving environment.

You don't have to look that far back to see that there was a similar accident involving Chimo at Miller Lake (2007) with plenty more recent examples occurring across the country.

http://www.bst-tsb.gc.ca/eng/rapports-r ... c0082.html

[pelmet]

Thanks for the update. As someone with little float time, but keen to learn more for future operations, would you agree that it appears to be more of an airborne related issue that could be applicable to any light aircraft rather than a float related.

Any comments by the high time float guys would be appreciated.

[PilotDAR]

if you don't respect the wind (weather), you're operating at considerable risk.

Yeah, I was guilty of this last summer. I was the passenger for a quick flight to drop me off to a friend's place a few lakes down the way in Norway. My pilot was the person I had trained years back, and he has become very experienced in the mean time. Conditions were poor, with an odd direction wind, resulting in the need for a crosswind takeoff from his small lake among the mountains. He made a run, and a few moments before I would have asked him to abort, he did on his own. Right then and there, I should have suggested to taxi back, and put the plane away. But, he said to me: "you should do it". Really, no, I should not have, but I did. A crosswind takeoff, with a turn on the step to aim myself away from the mountains. It worked, but was messy, and I was not happy with it. Once up and out, I gave him control. Ten minutes later, we were over my friend's lake, considering the approach. No way would be good. He asked if I would fly a few circuits with him at that lake to let him practice. I summoned up the nerve to say to him that I did not want to land even once in there that day, let alone do circuits. Before I allowed that thought to settle in, I asked if we could just fly back to his home lake, and he could drive me to catch the ferry to get to my friend's. He agreed, somewhat puzzled. He set up an approach into his lake. It was not good - odd direction, no good overshoot, fast and high. Way back, I asked him to overshoot and set it up again. I should have known, he added power, pulled up, and said: "you do it". I set up a much more satisfactory approach, and tucked it on nicely. As we taxied back to the hanger, He offered that he was happy that we did not land into the other lake. We agreed that sometimes it was just not the right time to fly.

A half hour drive, a half hour on the ferry, and an other hour drive, and I was at my friend's plane [again]. He (a very experienced float instructor) had heard us circle, and leave, and said he knew that I had decided to not attempt a landing. I offered that really, I should not have attempted the takeoff!

Sometimes, you should just decide to not fly that day.....

[Heliian]

Thanks for the update. As someone with little float time, but keen to learn more for future operations, would you agree that it appears to be more of an airborne related issue that could be applicable to any light aircraft rather than a float related.

Any comments by the high time float guys would be appreciated.

Not high time but have enough experience now to know not to push the limits. This is classic human factors. 1, lack of knowledge/experience. 2, pushing to get a job done.

Also, bush flying presents greater risk overall due to the changing conditions and unprepared areas being flown into/out of.

[C.W.E.]

As I have said for decades,

The hardest thing about flying is knowing when to say no.

[waterdog]

IMHO the most valuable thing for boards like this is for new pilots to read and understand that even the most experienced pilots still back away from flights or, get up and realize that it was a mistake and its time to go home. The illusion of commercial aviation is that with enough experience or balls you can fly in almost any conditions and in GA its just not the case.

K