Metro 3 ( dangerous as they say it is )

[goingnowherefast]

A ferry permit for an airplane with an engine issue and a gear issue. Also, on an airplane that can't maintain altitude with the gear down single engine.

Sounds like Perimeter is more sketchy than I thought.

[up on one]

The aircraft was diverted to another reserve due to low oil pressure. Work was done on it (in attempts) to rectify the problem and while it sat overnight in the cold she developed a hydraulic leak from an oleo seal. The oleo leak was fixed and required a gear swing to be signed off.

At no point was extending or retracting the gear an issue. That was merely a formality as a gear swing was required for task completion. Good luck trying to bring all the required gear to safely conduct a gear swing on the apron of Gods River (if memory serves correct)

Every sop will have a statement in the first few sections that states they are meant for defined scenarios within a box. There may be situations that are outside of this box and captain may do what’s in the best interest of safety even it it means violating a sop.

That being said, the metro 3 does not have an issue maintaining altitude single engine with the gear down especially when it’s well below isa, even in the mountainous terrain of Manitoba.

[cpt sweet'njuicy]

Maybe you know of the recent Metro incidents referred to above.

[digits_]

The aircraft was diverted to another reserve due to low oil pressure. Work was done on it (in attempts) to rectify the problem and while it sat overnight in the cold she developed a hydraulic leak from an oleo seal. The oleo leak was fixed and required a gear swing to be signed off.

At no point was extending or retracting the gear an issue. That was merely a formality as a gear swing was required for task completion.

Sounds like they 'fixed' the low oil pressure to make it legal for takeoff, got a ferry permit for the gear and were then surprised the ferry pilot would actually follow the restrictions on the ferry permit....

Sure sucks for the pilot, and it doesn't excuse her crashing the plane upon landing, but sounds like Perimeter got out of their way to drill some mighty fine holes in that Swiss cheese!

Good luck trying to bring all the required gear to safely conduct a gear swing on the apron of Gods River (if memory serves correct)

What's easier: conducting a gear swing in Gods River or performing structural repairs on a plane in Thompson?

[MD-2]

Some of the incidents related to Perimeter and Bearskin can be researched via the TSB / T.C. websites. Here are a few that I know of.

End of 2016 or early 2017 right around the time Perimeter / T.C. grounded their fleet due to poor maintenance practices, two Metro two's were written off and one additional Metro 2 damaged. An AME decided to carryout a high power run on a Metro 2 with aircraft parked off of each wing tip. Electro tug still attached to the aircraft. This was on an ice covered ramp. Power was applied and aircraft slid forward, causing the Electro tug to swing around. The tug first contacted the #2 prop which promptly shed into the aircraft beside him. The tug continued to swing around slicing the fuse as it went under the running aircraft. Tug continued around and contacted the #1 prop which shed into the other aircraft. I believe a couple vehicles in the nearby parking lot also were victims of flying debris.

The second incident was the Perimeter Thompson flight as mentioned above. A Metro 3 on landing, Crew noticed an engine oil leak. AME was dispatched and he thought he had it fixed. Aircraft overnight developed an oleo oil leak. Ops / Maintenance decided to carryout a gear down ferry flight. On route the Crew decided to retract the gear in contravention of the ferry permit. Engine oil pressure degraded below min operating pressure enroute. SOP's were not followed and Crew elected to continue to operated the effected engine. On landing into Thompson the Crew selected reverse and the effected engine's prop feathered. This caused the the aircraft to veer off of the runway. Aircraft was written off. It was noted in the TSB investigation when the oil was drained from the engine, only one quart was remaining.

The next would be the Bearskin Metro 3 or 23 accident in Dryden . Not sure on aircraft type. During the take off roll in Dryden the Crew failed to bring one of the props off of the locks. Aircraft veered off the runway, props separating and aircraft written off. I believe there were injuries due to prop shrapnel entering the fuse.

The latest I know off is the incident at a gold mine north of Timmins. I believe Detour Lake. A Metro 3 trying to land on their second attempt planted the aircraft on the runway. This causing a gear collapse and aircraft skidding off of the runway. I was told the Charter Client mandated only the use of DHC-8's after this incident.

I am sure there are additional incidents but these are the ones I can recall off hand. Personally I would rather take a bus then fly on one of their aircraft.

[modi13]

The second incident was the Perimeter Thompson flight as mentioned above. A Metro 3 on landing, Crew noticed an engine oil leak. AME was dispatched and he thought he had it fixed. Aircraft overnight developed an oleo oil leak. Ops / Maintenance decided to carryout a gear down ferry flight. On route the Crew decided to retract the gear in contravention of the ferry permit. Engine oil pressure degraded below min operating pressure enroute. SOP's were not followed and Crew elected to continue to operated the effected engine. On landing into Thompson the Crew selected reverse and the effected engine's prop feathered. This caused the the aircraft to veer off of the runway. Aircraft was written off. It was noted in the TSB investigation when the oil was drained from the engine, only one quart was remaining.

I decided to read the TSB report on this one, because so many things went wrong that I was curious how all those holes could line up at both the maintenance and flight ops levels. The investigators found that there was a systemic violation of an AFM limitation regarding engine cool-down times which caused the oil to burn and degrade the seals, which was ultimately the cause of the loss of oil in the incident. An examination of the FDR from another aircraft found that the limitation wasn't being adhered to 50% of the time. That's a systemic problem that would have to be wide-spread among the pilots there, not just an occasional slip-up caused by forgetfulness, and I suspect was a result of lack of knowledge and poor training. The crew hadn't received CRM training because at the time it wasn't required for 703 or 704 operators, but the company easily could have done it voluntarily; I received CRM training at my first 703 job six years before this accident, so the fact that Perimeter hadn't implemented it means either that they deliberately wouldn't go beyond what was required by the CARs, or that their whole training system was in poor shape and reactive rather than proactive.

[cpt sweet'njuicy]

MD2 I was looking for recent incidents. You typed recent.To me thats within a year at most. I am always interested in how things are going there.