Ursus 207, June 2009

[rum-runner]

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/north/story/20 ... crash.html


3 injured in plane crash near Colville Lake
Last Updated: Friday, June 19, 2009 | 7:01 PM CT Comments3Recommend9
CBC News

Two passengers and a pilot suffered minor injuries when their small plane crashed in a remote area in the Northwest Territories on Thursday night.

The Ursus Aviation charter was on its way from Norman Wells, N.W.T., to Colville Lake when, about 45 minutes into the flight, its engine failed.

The Cessna 207 was forced down in the bush about 110 kilometres north of Norman Wells.

"The first thing they notified us was that everybody was OK," Blair Jensen, chief pilot with Ursus Aviation, told CBC News on Friday.

"As long as nobody got hurt, that's the important thing. Now we have to pick up the pieces and get things going again."

Jensen said that while he's relieved everyone is safe, it's "very disturbing that such a thing should happen."
'Landed in trees,' witness says

A Canadian Helicopters crew picked up the pilot and two passengers and brought them back to Norman Wells.

"It just looked like an airplane that landed in the trees," said mechanic Rob Closs, who saw the Cessna from the air.

Closs said spruce trees cushioned the plane, which did not appear very badly damaged. The passengers and pilot had built a fire nearby, he added.

"They were all walking, [in] relatively good spirits, considering what happened," he said.

Other than some cuts and soreness, Closs said the passengers just seemed shaken up.

It's not the first crash by a Cessna owned by Ursus Aviation, which is based in Yellowknife and Tulita, N.W.T.

On Dec. 31, 2001, four people died when one of the company's planes went down near Fort Good Hope, N.W.T.

Two years later, a coroner's inquest resulted in recommendations for the airline and the Northwest Territories government.

The Transportation Safety Board will investigate the cause of Thursday's crash. Jensen said it's too early to say if the aircraft can be salvaged.

[kevinsky18]

Glad to hear everyone is ok.

[chancellor]

Glad everyone's okay. Had some good times in that machine, I think it was WHV. Be sad too see her go.

[Phileas Fogg]

...but won't be sad to see Ursus go....and go they should.

[chancellor]

Was a pretty good place when I was there. Maybe it has run its course though.

[Strega]

Was a pretty good place when I was there. Maybe it has run its course though.

Pretty good as compared to what?

[Troubleshot]

Was a pretty good place when I was there. Maybe it has run its course though.

Pretty good as compared to what?

Well ...I'd say compared to other places this person has worked......

[northernguy]

the naked guy runin down the hall for the phone will never forgets it disfunktion lol

[chancellor]

It was my first job and I was paid pretty well. Was never pushed to do anything I didn't want to. The aircraft were well maintained. That is what I mean, of course that was eleven years ago!

[Sqwak_Ident]

Glad to hear everyone is fine. My first job was at Ursus.

[Strega]

If the 3 people that I know that worked at Urses, One is dead, and the other 2 said it was BY FAR the most dangerous, un professional crappy job in Canada. The owner that runs around in his ho "baiting" young pilots should be put in jail for manslaughter.

[arctic navigator]

If the 3 people that I know that worked at Urses, One is dead, and the other 2 said it was BY FAR the most dangerous, un professional crappy job in Canada.

Wow... That's pretty harsh... It's really unfortunate that flying in the North is more dangerous (in theory anyways) than elsewhere, but I'm pretty sure that Ursus isn't the only company up there in the last 10 years that has had an accident, fatal or not.

But let me ask you this. Did your buddies that flew up there show up, go to work, and say screw this I quit because I don't feel safe, or did they stay and fly until they had the time to get on somewhere else and then run off at the mouth? If they're not part of the solution then they're part of the problem.

There's a lot of guys that came thru the Ursus mill as damn fine pilots that have moved on to awsome careers flying all over the world. I'm sure that to this day if you started asking them about some of their most memorable flying experiences, good and/or bad, their would be more that a few from each category that took place while working up there.

[chancellor]

Sorry about your dead friend, but at the end of the day your three friends woke up got into the airplane and went flying into what ever dangerous conditions ( ie. weather, maintenance) you are referring to. I was never pushed to go flying if I wasn't comfortable with doing so. I do remember a few folks across at the competition that most definately went off the handle when flights were refused.

[Strega]

But let me ask you this. Did your buddies that flew up there show up, go to work, and say screw this I quit because I don't feel safe, or did they stay and fly until they had the time to get on somewhere else and then run off at the mouth? If they're not part of the solution then they're part of the problem.

Well one is dead, and the other 2 hopped on the DC4 and got out of dodge after a brief period of time.
So you are telling me that its my dead friends fault that he is dead as opposed to the scum bag operator that
employed them??

Can anyone here research the number of fatal crashes that have happened at U place?

[arctic navigator]

Well one is dead, and the other 2 hopped on the DC4 and got out of dodge after a brief period of time.
So you are telling me that its my dead friends fault that he is dead as opposed to the scum bag operator that
employed them??

Can anyone here research the number of fatal crashes that have happened at U place?

I'm sorry that you lost a friend. I've lost my share too and it sucks. I was around when that accident happened in '01, which to the best of my knowledge was the one and only fatal accident Ursus has ever had, and that's the one I assume you're talking about. I, as well as I'm sure everyone else, agree that one accident is one too many regardless.

You never answered the question though. Did your other friends wait until they had other jobs before they left, or did they leave without something else to go too. Not that it matters, just making a point.

Regardless of anything else, the PIC is in charge, and has the final say and control as to what happens with his or her aircraft. Theirs an old saying, Good judgment comes with experience, and Experience comes from bad judgment. The wrong decision made in an unforgiving environment is a recipe for disaster regardless of who your flying for or what your flying. If you don't believe me then why was there an A340 burnt up off the end of the runway at YYZ. Theirs one 2 letter word that could have prevented that '01 accident.

As for this one, wait until the TSB has a chance to look at the aircraft and engine to figure out what the hell happened.

[chancellor]

"So you are telling me that its my dead friends fault that he is dead as opposed to the scum bag operator that
employed them??"

From what I heard at the time the weather was absolutely disgusting. I was almost caught in the same area at the same time 8-9 years earlier enroute from Fort Good Hope to the Wells. Took off started picking up ice couldn't get away from it couldn't see a mile in front of me and that was 30 or so miles before even getting into the triangle around I think it is moon lake where the weather is always worse. I turned around landed called Blair he called a few places before I new it the cars station manager was picking me up and taking me to the hotel. On another occasion I was forced the long way around from Colville lake via the river passengers ended up almost missing the jet south. They complained to Blair, his words were the weather was poor so too bad. As opposed to the scumbag operator as you termed them I am pretty sure that he didn't your friends door down to hire them. That by the way was the first fatal and thay have had a few accidents the recent engine fail and one pilot ran out of gas. The boys next door have had a few aswell as have places down in Yk. Flying in that environment as busy as you get there are going to be mistakes. So don't go spouting off based on secondhand info that you recieve, usually the first place people look for jobs is at Northwright which has several flights in and out. Maybe your friends just weren't able to cut it in the north.

Just a few thougts....

[Widow]

CADORS Number: 2009C1527 Reporting Region: Prairie & Northern

Occurrence InformationOccurrence Type: Accident Occurrence Date: 2009/06/18
Occurrence Time: 2250 Z Day Or Night: day-time
Fatalities: 0 Injuries: 0

Canadian Aerodrome ID: CEB3 Aerodrome Name: Colville Lake
Occurrence Location: 35 NM S of Colville Lake (CEB3) Province: Northwest Territories
Country: CANADA World Area: North America

Reported By: NAV CANADA AOR Number: 107888-V1
TSB Class Of Investigation: TSB Occurrence No.:
Event InformationCollision with object
Declared emergency/priority
Engine failure
Forced landing
Aircraft InformationFlight #:
Aircraft Category: Aeroplane Country of Registration: CANADA
Make: CESSNA Model: T207A
Year Built: 1979 Amateur Built: No
Engine Make: TELEDYNE CONTINENTAL Engine Model: TSIO-520-M
Engine Type: Reciprocating Gear Type: Land
Phase of Flight: Cruise Damage: Substantial
Owner: 102643 AVIATION LTD - URSUS AVIATION Operator: URSUS AVIATION (3569)
Operator Type: Commercial

Detail InformationUser Name: Ridley, Rod
Date: 2009/06/19
Further Action Required: No
O.P.I.: System Safety
Narrative: At 2250z, North Bay FIC received a call via sat-phone from another aircraft reporting that the pilot C-FWHV, a Cessna 207 owned by Ursus Aviation, declared an emergency due to engine failure in the vicinity of Colville Lake. The aircraft went down approximately 35 NM south of Colville Lake. The four occupants were reported to be uninjured. RCMP and RCC Trenton were advised. Initial report from TSB is that the engine quit and the pilot carried out a forced landing. He attempted to glide to a clearing, but one wing got caught up in brush and bent the wing back. The occupants were picked up by a civilian helicopter and transported to Norman Wells where they were medically assessed. TSB is considering sending an investigator to Norman Wells to examine the engine. Class of investigation is being assessed.

[C-FABH]

I'm guessing the airplane is a W/O ???

From my archives...

[chancellor]

That would be the one, I remember when we bought that one in Whitehorse I took it to Red Deer for paint. Was a nice machine flew a little different than the non turbo one we had. May have been the Horton stoll kit on it none of us could put a finger on it though.

[Flying Nutcracker]

Now you can all flame me for this one, I am prepared for it, but... with all the stuff that's been said over the last few days, this is going to sound harsh for a few people here! It is my opinion and I feel the need to state it...

Strega... You can blame the operator all you want. They were not in the airplane. Your friend was. If you put the blame on the operator your friend has died in vain. You have not learned from his accident. And that to me is sad. No fingerpointing will bring your friend back, yet learning from what happened we all have the ability to make a difference in our lives to prevent it from happening again!

Like I said... my opinion! And I apologize for being harsh and blunt about it. No disrespect!

FN