Narrative:
The float-equipped Cessna Caravan had dropped of some RCMP Emergency Response Team (ERT) members at Teslin Lake. The aircraft was maneuvered for takeoff when it suddenly grounded on a gravel bar. The ERT members, working with the aircrafts maintenance engineer who had been called in, eventually managed to free the aircraft. They had been working for nearly seven hours to free the plane. At 23:50, after the engineer had pumped the floats, the pilot started the aircraft and taxied down the lake for a short distance before returning to start the takeoff run. The pilot took off downwind and passed over an RCMP boat at about 100 feet, then entered a steep climb. At the top of the climb, it stalled and yawed to the left. The aircraft descended and struck the water in a near-vertical attitude. The wreckage sank to a depth of 66 feet (20 m).
FINDINGS AS TO CAUSES AND CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: "1. The pilot's decision to depart from the unlit location was likely the result of the many psychological and physiological stressors encountered during the day.; 2. The pilot most likely experienced spatial disorientation precipitated by local geographic and environmental conditions and lost control of the aircraft.
FINDINGS AS TO RISK: 1. Without a safety management program that routinely disseminates safety information, RCMP pilots may be inadequately sensitized to the limitations of decision making and judgement; 2. The RCMP had no current, concise standard operating procedures (SOPs) for its non-604 operations. Without useable SOPs, the pilots in some instances operate without clearly established limits and outside of acceptable tolerances."
Loss of control
| Status: | Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
| Date: | Monday 14 August 2000 |
| Time: | 23:57 |
| Type: |  Cessna 208 Caravan I |
| Operator: | RCMP-GRC Air Services |
| Registration: | C-GMPB |
| MSN: | 20800082 |
| First flight: | 1986 |
| Engines: | 1 Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-114A |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Total: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Damaged beyond repair |
| Location: | Teslin Lake, BC ( Canada)
|
| Phase: | Initial climb (ICL) |
| Nature: | Ferry/positioning |
| Departure airport: | Teslin Airport, YT (YZW/CYZW), Canada |
| Dease Lake Airport, BC (YDL/CYDL), Canada |
The float-equipped Cessna Caravan had dropped of some RCMP Emergency Response Team (ERT) members at Teslin Lake. The aircraft was maneuvered for takeoff when it suddenly grounded on a gravel bar. The ERT members, working with the aircrafts maintenance engineer who had been called in, eventually managed to free the aircraft. They had been working for nearly seven hours to free the plane. At 23:50, after the engineer had pumped the floats, the pilot started the aircraft and taxied down the lake for a short distance before returning to start the takeoff run. The pilot took off downwind and passed over an RCMP boat at about 100 feet, then entered a steep climb. At the top of the climb, it stalled and yawed to the left. The aircraft descended and struck the water in a near-vertical attitude. The wreckage sank to a depth of 66 feet (20 m).
Probable Cause:
FINDINGS AS TO CAUSES AND CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: "1. The pilot's decision to depart from the unlit location was likely the result of the many psychological and physiological stressors encountered during the day.; 2. The pilot most likely experienced spatial disorientation precipitated by local geographic and environmental conditions and lost control of the aircraft.
FINDINGS AS TO RISK: 1. Without a safety management program that routinely disseminates safety information, RCMP pilots may be inadequately sensitized to the limitations of decision making and judgement; 2. The RCMP had no current, concise standard operating procedures (SOPs) for its non-604 operations. Without useable SOPs, the pilots in some instances operate without clearly established limits and outside of acceptable tolerances."
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Classification:
Loss of situational awarenessLoss of control
Follow-up / safety actions
The RCMP has reinstated dedicated positions for safety officers and training officers. This action will facilitate the provision of continuing training and safety information to RCMP pilots and promote good decision making and judgement.
Photos
Map
This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line between the airports does not display the exact flight path.
Distance from Teslin Airport, YT to Dease Lake Airport, BC as the crow flies is 246 km (154 miles).
Accident location: Approximate; accuracy within a few kilometers.
Distance from Teslin Airport, YT to Dease Lake Airport, BC as the crow flies is 246 km (154 miles).
Accident location: Approximate; accuracy within a few kilometers.
This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.
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