Canadian pilot feared dead in Guyana crash

[angry inch]

Came across this... Bad news.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/guyana-pla ... -1.2502258

[TeePeeCreeper]

This hits home very hard as I flew the line alongside Blake at TGA for almost a year.

When I first got to GT Blake insisted on driving me around showing me where the best grocery stores were and which local markets to avoid. In fact he insisted on driving me around to do groceries, etc for the first month I was there! He was almost considered a local as his Aunt and Uncle lived in the capital and he knew GT like the back of his hand!

He truly was a gentleman and a great aviator!
Baroomba Bar after sunset with Blake was always an adventure! Fish and chips by the seawall afterwards, hours spent on my porch drinking cold "Banks" after a hard day of flying and talking about the industry back in Canada. He did not post here much and it took him almost 5 months of guessing what my username was on AvCanada... Seems like just yesterday.

My sincerest condolences to his family and friends.

God Speed Blake, I'll have a sip of Demerra 5 year old for you this evening.
(Connor if you read this please call or send me an email to let me know your holding up OK!?!)

With much sorrow,
TPC

[bizjets101]

From Guyana Times;

Wreckage of the downed Cessna Caravan was spotted at approximately 12:45 PM Sunday, Transport Minister Robeson Benn said.

The Guyana Civil Aviation Authority said the wreckage was sighted at 4.32km south south west of Olive Creek. Members of the GDF Special Forces were on their way to location. The minister explained that the soldiers, including a Medex, were going to crash-site offer any assistance. Authorities refused to speculate on the status of the pilot and another Trans Guyana Airways employee who were aboard the aircraft on the shuttle flight from Olive Creek to Imbaimadai.

“We have just seen wreckage. We are going to check and I am not talking about life now,” Benn told Demerara Waves Online News.

Those aboard were the pilot Blake Slater and Cargo Handler, Dwayne Newton when the plane went down about two minutes after take off Saturday morning.

The Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) has said that the Blake had reported the plane was going down at 14:56 GMT (10:56 Guyana Time), having left Olive Creek at 10:54 (Guyana Time).


Blake Slater


Photo Andrew Muller/JetPhotos

[C-GOYR]

Firstly I'd like to extend my sympathies to the families of these two men. Secondly I'd like to address one of the baffling rule about the GCAA. After an investigation into an accident, the report isn't made public (see Caribbean Airlines crash). How on earth are we supposed to understand contributing factors, avoid reoccurrence and improve overall safety?

It almost seems like they don't value the lives lost . There are people with little or no aviation experience who, through political affiliation, are given jobs they are not qualified for. As for SAR, that's a story for another day. God forbid an airliner should go down in the jungle. As per news sources, the loader's body was not located in the A/C. He may have survived and died later as SAR couldn't locate and get to him in a timely manner.

Sorry for the rant but I hope something positive comes out of this tragedy.

[CpnCrunch]

Actually, unlike any accident investigation in Canada, it seems that they are releasing preliminary information about the accident, and it appears to have been caused by a load shift:

http://www.inewsguyana.com/crashed-airc ... ansmitter/

[AeroDiaz]

I was following very closely the news since I have friends flying in Guyana and I was praying for a good outcome. My condolences to the families of both crew members.

As per news sources, the loader's body was not located in the A/C.

Could you post your source please?, because I found this:

" but up to late last evening, they were cautiously attempting to remove the bodies of the pilot, Blake Slater, from the cockpit, and Cargo Loader Dwayne Anthony Newton from beneath barrels of fuel. "



http://guyanachronicle.com/trans-guyana-plane-crash/


Díaz

[lilflyboy262]

Just having a quick read through that article that was posted.
Single pilot with 1000lbs of fuel and 7 drums of diesel is around MTOW with the Payload extender mods.
If there is a second person and the fuel load it will be overloaded but this is irrelevant if the load shifted.

I doubt that the load shifts from back to front. If he was on climb out it would have gone backwards, not forwards. As well as even in the cruise there is a 2.5-5 degree nose up on the van.
The movement forward of the drums would have been on impact.

A simple wall/roof/floor mounting cargo net would have solved the problems that caused this. I think they are roughly $100 to make and take about 1min to put up. Would have stopped this accident from occurring.

My condolences to the family and friends of the crew members that were involved. This sort of accident terrifies me as you don't have a fighting chance. Was just talking about it this morning.

I'm doing an op where we shift 6 drums a flight, 5 times a day... It's close to home. Gotta make sure those straps are tight.

[TeePeeCreeper]

It wasn't a load shift that caused this accident. I won't say anymore because it would only add to the speculation that need not be as the "facts" are well known. He did make a mayday call and was able to relay his location (he read the northern coordinates to a fellow colleague before putting it down)


As much as I think it is healthy to discuss accidents and speculate on them, may I cordially ask that anyone whom wishes to do so, start a new thread?

Blake was a good friend, and I would hate for his family, and non aviation minded friends to read what should be a condolence thread rather than a speculation thread if only one thread be posted on this web site.

All the best, and fly safe guys!

Regards,
TPC

[B52]

Its rather shocking to read the local press allegations of overloading.

(edited upon request)