Blue Water Aviation plane down North of Winnipeg

[pelmet]

I really hope the TSB can find out what caused the structural failure with some haste. It would be horrible if this were to happen to another otter before the report comes out 3 years from now.

AD can be issued before the final report. It does seem like the TSB has started issuing some reports more quickly on the last year or so for smaller accidents.

Maybe we are having an effect.

[DCL415]

Here is the obituary for Jonathan, the pilot.
There is a fund for Keira and Liam (his daughter and son) education.
https://www.soberingfuneralchapel.com/j ... g-friesen/

Rest in peace

[FishermanIvan]

I’m pretty gutted I can’t make it to Bissett tomorrow, both Jonathan and Tanya made being away from home very easy for both my summers there. Made me feel right at home from day one. Nothing but the utmost generosity from both of them.

I do hope they find out what happened so it doesn’t ever happen to anyone else.

Rest In Peace. I’ll miss knowing you.

[seasonaldriver]

Evidently all Otters in Canada have been grounded pending the results of the accident investigation.
That's gonna hurt the west coast operators hard.
I hope they find the cause of the wing failure very soon. Before anything else catastrophic happens.

[C.W.E.]

Where did you get that info?

That would really screw Harbour Air.

[seasonaldriver]

Admittedly I got it third hand but from a fairly reliable non gov. source.
A reasonable expectation of gov. response given circumstances.
I wonder if the USA operators will be told to follow suit?

[Maynard]

I don’t think they’re grounded, but there’s a Safety Bulliten to inspect the struts/fittings/bolts, etc before its next flight.

[C-GGGQ]

So a grounding without it being an "official" grounding of the fleet (Complete with press conferences) instead, Inspect before you fly next.

[Moosemeat]

I've been quite concerned about this accident, so much so, I terminated my Otter position for next summer. Other issues, ie: maintenance, contributed to the decision.

[round pounder]

So. Someone has said our the fleet of otters, I heard it from a friend who heard it from a friend are grounded Please park the BS at the door. Before the arm chair bandits start condemning the plane and the pilot. I highly suggest you wait for a TSB report.

[PilotDAR]

Evidently all Otters in Canada have been grounded pending the results of the accident investigation.

I wonder what regulatory mechanism has been used for this action? The only means I know of for TC to ground a type would be an AD. I've looked, and cannot find an AD to this effect.

seasonaldriver - Admittedly I got it third hand but from a fairly reliable non gov. source.

Would seasonaldriver please tell us exactly where to look for this important information, or withdraw the remark? There really is no middle ground here....

[seasonaldriver]

Hey PilotDAR
I did mention it was third hand
Perhaps I should also have mentioned it was verbal
I suspect that it is not official yet but very likely to happen.

I don’t think they’re grounded, but there’s a Safety Bulliten to inspect the struts/fittings/bolts, etc before its next flight.

That is best info available at this time as far as I know.
I have lots of time flying Otters and it sends a chill up my spine thinking about a wing falling off in flight.

[PilotDAR]

I don’t think they’re grounded, but there’s a Safety Bulliten to inspect the struts/fittings/bolts, etc before its next flight

Is what I'm referring to when I seek an actual document. Is there a safety bulletin number?

On occasion, there is a sudden understanding that a particular feature of an aircraft should receive an extra, or different inspection, (sadly, usually the result of an accident). Perhaps Viking has issued a Service Bulletin to inspect a feature of the Otters. Such an SB could have been issued, and that would be of interest to the group, hence my question. It could be made mandatory by an AD, if TC determines that is appropriate. If the third hand does not actually have this document, speculating about/imagining it really does no one any good.

In the mean time, the quoted statement above is troublesome, and self ambiguous. In regulatory wording, if actually official (which at this point, I don't see) "don't think they're grounded" does not jive with "inspect before next flight" - 'cause that really would be like being grounded, if it were indeed authoritative.

I will wait with interest as others to see if there is official word on any required inspections of Otters.

[7ECA]

If there had been a fleet wide grounding of the DHC-3 series of aircraft, that would have at the very least made the news - and certainly would have seen some sort of a release from Transport Canada.

On the subject of ADs, I seem to recall one used to be able to access the database freely to poke around (CAWIS, I think was the acronym), although it looks like that's been now made into a login only service...

The most recent safety alert for the Otters was back in September for when one of the HA birds blew an elephant leg. I've heard rumours they're getting or going through some sort of a modification or STC to replace the elephant legs with a newer strut system.

[Capt. Underpants]

I monitor airworthiness directives and bulletins out of TC and there hasn't been a peep of anything to do with an apparent wing failure on an Otter.

[Jiggly Bus]

Viking ASB V3-0011 Rev NC
DHC-3-AOM-57-006

[peterdillon]

As aircraft operators or owners I think the main thing we want to know is what happened and why and how it can be avoided and not wait for years to find out while we fly the same aircraft. I don't have sources that I am prepared to name for their sake but the lower fork end - strut let go. Other struts have been removed from other flying Otters with visible cracks in the lower strut fork where it goes into the strut. If you think this is premature gossip or rumour just relax and wait for the report.

[JigglyBus]

Viking ASB V3-0011 Rev NC
DHC-3-AOM-57-006

What the....

[PilotDAR]

Yes, agreed, that is a significant service bulletin, and states that an AD is a possibility. So it's not an AD yet, but obviously an operator would have a hard time explaining why they continued to fly an Otter with that SB applicable, other than to ferry it for inspection.

It's a better thing in these posts to quote actual issued documents, as others may take what they read here to be "factual". Obviously, there is truth behind the earlier comment, now that we have the SB.

[Maynard]

Sorry I would’ve quoted the ASB number but didn’t have it on hand at the time. I also heard from a reliable source it was the lower strut that failed. Hence why a lot of the focus on the SB is directed to that area.