Caravan Down Vancouver Island

ScudRunner · Post by **ScudRunner** » Sat Jan 21, 2006 7:04 pm

Just saw on the news Cessna Caravan down near Port Alberni enroute from Tofino to Vancouver. Reported possible one fatality 8 total onboard. And did call mayday beofore going down. Fingers crossed this isnt the case. I assume this would be Regency's Van?

Phlyer · Post by **Phlyer** » Sat Jan 21, 2006 7:19 pm

Hoping for the best; this is all ll I could find:

Plane forced to make emergency landing on Vancouver Island

Canadian Press
Published: Saturday, January 21, 2006

PORT ALBERNI, B.C. (CP) - A single-engine aircraft was forced to make an emergency landing in the wilderness near the Vancouver Island city of Port Alberni on Saturday afternoon.

Seven adults and a baby were on board.

It is not known if there are any casualties.

The Cessna 208 was en route from Tofino to Vancouver when the pilot called a mayday and requested a landing in Port Alberni.

A statement from the Victoria Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre said a Canadian Forces CC-115 Buffalo was airborne in the vicinity and made radio contact with the plane.

The Buffalo tracked the plane's weak emergency transmitter signal and soon made visual contact.

The Port Alberni airport lost contact with the plane when it was about 10 kilometres short of the runway.

A Cormorant helicopter arrived at the scene by late afternoon. Two rescue crew members were parachuted into the site while two more were hoisted down from the helicopter.

© The Canadian Press 2006

matrix · Post by **matrix** » Sat Jan 21, 2006 7:26 pm

Could it be this one??

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/RXX604

Go Guns · Post by **Go Guns** » Sat Jan 21, 2006 7:42 pm

I hope everyone makes it out ok.

mosquito71 · Post by **mosquito71** » Sat Jan 21, 2006 7:51 pm

I heard on the news there were survivors. It was unknown how many though. Lets hope all made it out alive.

boeingboy · Post by **boeingboy** » Sat Jan 21, 2006 7:55 pm

Gee...............another Regency/Sonic blue accident. Is anyone else besides me tried of hearing about these???

Hope everyone made it.

C206Pilot · Post by **C206Pilot** » Sat Jan 21, 2006 8:07 pm

if I am reading this correctly, take a look at the link that smithereen posted. look at the map. you can see where the plane actually went down. the line starts at Tofino and you can see the path the pilot took to land it about 10 KM from Tofino. looks like he did a sharp right turn (270 degrees) and landed it northbound. and thats it. line ends there.

also, the flight status says "unknown" - very eerie.

seriously, if this is due to icing....

do they have icing conditions in vancouver right now? how warm is it there? and if so, this plane is going to just end up not being certified for icing at all!

godspeed to all onboard..

Cat Driver · Post by **Cat Driver** » Sat Jan 21, 2006 8:27 pm

I have just returned from a trip to Poets Nook outside Bamfield in my truck.

Around 11:00 Am on the drive down the weather was broken to scattered with several layers of cloud and a lot of patches low stratus, fog.

The air was very saturated and the surface temperatures in that area was about 5 degrees C according to the OAT air temp guage in my truck.

I left Poets Nook at 13:30 and arrived Port Alberni at !5:00, the weather had deterioated considerably on the return trip and had become mostly overcast with an increase of low level stratus, fog in patches and no real temperature change.

For west coast float plane flying it was quite flyable.

Cat

The Old Fogducker · Post by **The Old Fogducker** » Sat Jan 21, 2006 8:30 pm

Cat:

Its been almost 30 years since my coastal float flying days. Are they still flying around in 1/4 mile vis and calling it "good VFR" on the company frequencies?

Fog

200hr Wonder · Post by **200hr Wonder** » Sat Jan 21, 2006 8:43 pm

Regardless of whos plane it is at this point my thoughts are with the crew. I know several people who work for Sonic Blue from my days down the counter on the south side of YVR. My thoughts are with them. We can all slag sonic blue later, right now I am worried about my friends. If anyone finds out the status of the crew please let us know.

Cat Driver · Post by **Cat Driver** » Sat Jan 21, 2006 8:44 pm

I don't know if they are Fog, I have not flown the coast on floats since I sold my Amphib 185 handed in my OC and went to Africa about ten years ago.

However today the west coast weather was not all that bad, except for some low stuff hanging around the mountains..

..remember there is not much chance to really read the wearther on those logging roads down the Alberni inlet, you can't see much for the trees..

However from what I could see the weather was not really all that bad for the west side of the island this time of year.

At Poets Nook we could see the mountains across Barkley Sound, about 15 miles or so away.

The radio is saying everyone is alive at this point.

Cat

Go Guns · Post by **Go Guns** » Sat Jan 21, 2006 8:47 pm

Global was saying that it was engine problems actually..not icing..but who knows...

C206pilot... The datatag for the last radar hit still has the airplane @ 6400' doing 92kts, so I doubt thats where the flight actually ended. Also, on that flightaware website, alot of flights end with "result unknown" depends on the radar coverage in the area

Carlito · Post by **Carlito** » Sat Jan 21, 2006 8:54 pm

Was in the area in afternoon and was getting lgt rime @ 3000'

(light twin)

North Shore · Post by **North Shore** » Sat Jan 21, 2006 9:48 pm

What a way to wreck your day. Hope that everyone onboard recovers quickly/fully.

Aren't we jumping to conclusions that it belonged to Regency? There are a few other 'Vans in the YVR area..

Go Guns · Post by **Go Guns** » Sat Jan 21, 2006 10:22 pm

Aren't we jumping to conclusions that it belonged to Regency?

No

Four Injured in Vancouver Island Plane Crash

Port Alberni, B.C. — Four people were critically injured when a single-engine aircraft made an emergency landing in the woods of Vancouver Island on Saturday afternoon.

Seven adults and a baby were on board when the plane went down as it approached the airport at Port Alberni.

Victoria Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre could not immediately confirm if anyone died in the crash.

"We're still in the process of confirming their status," said spokesman Lt.-Cmdr. Hubert Genest.

Five of the eight people on the plane were airlifted to St. Joseph's General Hospital in nearby Comox, said Capt. Cheryl Robinson of Canadian Forces 19 Air Wing in Comox.

Three of the five may be medevaced to Victoria, Ms. Robinson said.

Rescue technicians performed triage at the crash site prior to moving the victims to hospital, Ms. Robinson said.

The Cessna 208 was en route from Tofino to Vancouver on a commercial flight early Saturday afternoon when the pilot called a mayday and requested a landing in Port Alberni.

But the airport lost contact with the plane when it was about 10 kilometres short of the runway.

The rescue co-ordination centre said a Canadian Forces CC-115 Buffalo was airborne in the vicinity and made radio contact with the plane.

The Buffalo tracked the plane's weak emergency transmitter signal and soon made visual contact.

A search and rescue Cormorant helicopter arrived at the scene by late afternoon. Two rescue crew members parachuted to the crash site while two more were hoisted down from the helicopter.

"We're bringing more resources because the extent of the injuries is quite serious," Lt.-Cmdr. Genest said.

The Cessna belonged to Vancouver-based Sonicblue Airways, confirmed operations manager Nicholas Chapman.

"There has been an accident," Mr. Chapman said. "The (federal Transportation Safety Board) right now is investigating."

According to the company's website, the 600-horsepower plane seats nine and has a cruising speed of 165 knots.

Mr. Robinson said the crash site was in a mountainous area with fresh snow.

Canus Chinookus · Post by **Canus Chinookus** » Sat Jan 21, 2006 11:10 pm

crap. Speak of the devil. I hope everyone is ok. :/

oldtimer · Post by **oldtimer** » Sat Jan 21, 2006 11:12 pm

As a pilot who has spent years in single enghine airplanes, in the flat ass old prairies mind you, I can only imagine the panic that was present. I wonder if passengers yelling and screaming had any influence on the pilots performance. I have flown the CYAZ - CYVR route many times in winter and I can attest to the fact that the weather can be so unpredictable. I hope the best for both the crew and the passengers. I wonder if this could spell the end of SonicBlue? How many small companies can survive a serious accident, especially in an airplane with a unfounded but serious fault such as its performance in ice. Even if icing can be proven not to be a factor, you can bet some bright-eyed young reporter will bring up the fact that the FAA is studying the "Vans performance in ice. I just hope everyone survives this situation.

bigsky · Post by **bigsky** » Sat Jan 21, 2006 11:13 pm

http://news.yahoo.com/s/cpress/20060122 ... lane_crash

3 killed. Very sad news.

ahramin · Post by **ahramin** » Sat Jan 21, 2006 11:14 pm

the pilot called a mayday and requested a landing in Port Alberni.

But the airport lost contact with the plane when it was about 10 kilometres short of the runway.

Typical informed reporting.

Hapless · Post by **Hapless** » Sat Jan 21, 2006 11:53 pm

Very sad news...thoughts, feelings and prayers are with everyone...

I'm sure a lot of us know the pilot, please be alright guy...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/cpress/20060122 ... lane_crash

PORT ALBERNI, B.C. (CP) - Three people were killed and four others critically injured when a single-engine aircraft made an emergency landing in the woods of Vancouver Island on Saturday afternoon.

"At the scene we have three fatalities," said Cpl. Rob Foster of Port Alberni RCMP.

Seven adults and a baby were on the plane when it went down as it approached the airport in Port Alberni.

Foster could not confirm if the child was among the dead. No names are being released until next of kin are notified, he said.

Five of the eight people on the plane were airlifted to St. Joseph's General Hospital in nearby Comox, said Capt. Cheryl Robinson of Canadian Forces 19 Air Wing in Comox.

Three of the five may be medevaced to Victoria, Robinson said.

Rescue technicians performed triage at the crash site prior to moving the victims to hospital, Robinson said.

The Cessna 208 was en route from Tofino to Vancouver on a commercial flight when the pilot called a mayday and requested a landing in Port Alberni.

But the airport lost contact with the plane when it was about 10 kilometres short of the runway.

The rescue co-ordination centre said a Canadian Forces CC-115 Buffalo was airborne in the vicinity and made radio contact with the plane.

The Buffalo tracked the plane's weak emergency transmitter signal and soon made visual contact.

A search and rescue Cormorant helicopter arrived at the scene by late afternoon. Two rescue crew members parachuted to the crash site while two more were hoisted down from the helicopter.

"We're bringing more resources because the extent of the injuries is quite serious," said Lt.-Cmdr. Hubert Genest of the Victoria Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre.

The Cessna belonged to Vancouver-based Sonicblue Airways, confirmed operations manager Nicholas Chapman.

"The (federal Transportation Safety Board) right now is investigating," he said.

Foster said a coroner's inquest will be held into the crash.

According to the company's website, the 600-horsepower plane seats nine and has a cruising speed of 165 knots.

Robinson said the crash site was in a mountainous area with fresh snow

ils09 · Post by **ils09** » Sat Jan 21, 2006 11:57 pm

Can someone PM the pilots initials?

HuD 91gt · Post by **HuD 91gt** » Sun Jan 22, 2006 12:08 am

I just saw it on Global...

Horrible news, no matter who the company was. RIP, and my condolences go out to the families of the 3 casualties. I hope all hospitalized victims recover quickly.

scabber · Post by **scabber** » Sun Jan 22, 2006 12:13 am

Does anyone know what the initals are?? *******

As much as I hate *****, this is a sad sad day

Ops Guy · Post by **Ops Guy** » Sun Jan 22, 2006 12:17 am

******* (edited by admin please do not use initials)

sad day indeed...

knew ****** pretty well, but knew the mother and two kids on board better, I pray that the survivors pull thru...

Weird thing is nobody even bothered to go to SOnics office tonight...

TC..please shut theseuys down..

ils09 · Post by **ils09** » Sun Jan 22, 2006 12:18 am

can we not have the initials on the forum. I don't want to start anything, just a respect thing as, usually the initials are posted after someone passes, we dont know yet so is there any way that the initails could be kept to PMs.

Thanks
Ryan

(worried as hell)