ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 231636
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| Date: | Saturday 21 December 2019 |
| Time: | 12:22 LT |
| Type: |  Cessna 172H Skyhawk |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | C-GECG |
| MSN: | 172-55070 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | near Stewardson Inlet, BC -
 Canada
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Unknown |
| Departure airport: | Courtenay Airpark, BC (YCA/CAH3) |
| Courtenay Airpark, BC (YCA/CAH3) | |
| Investigating agency: | TSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information verified through data from accident investigation authorities |
The privately registered Cessna 172H aircraft was conducting a visual flight rules (VFR) flight from Courtenay Airpark (CAH3), BC, with only the pilot on board. Shortly after departing CAH3, the aircraft appeared on radar at 1132 climbing through 1900 feet ASL. At 1203, the aircraft levelled off at 17400 feet ASL. For the next 15 minutes, it followed the planned flight path for the air-sampling mission with a pattern of flight consistent with previous air-sampling flights, including a transponder code change at 1214.
When the aircraft reached 9500 feet ASL at 1217, it did not level off to conduct a sampling as planned. Instead, it descended through 9500 feet ASL on a steady track heading southwest and continued its descent for 4 minutes at 80 to 100 knots groundspeed and an average rate of 1800 fpm, until it was no longer visible on radar. The last radar return was at 2800 feet ASL. There was no record of any radio communications from the aircraft.
The on-board NOAA sampling equipment’s GPS (global positioning system) indicated that the aircraft came to rest at 1222. It had struck trees and collided with the ground near Stewardson Inlet, BC. The pilot was fatally injured. The aircraft was destroyed. There was no post-impact fire.
The occurrence flight was conducted on behalf of the United States Department of Commerce National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) as part of the Global Greenhouse Gas Reference Network’s aircraft program.Footnote1 The program collects air samples at specified altitudes and locations across North America and stores them for later analysis.
The occurrence pilot had been conducting these NOAA air-sampling flights near the Estevan Point Lighthouse, British Columbia (BC), at his discretion approximately every 12 days since 2002. These flights would normally begin with a climb to 17 500 feet above sea level (ASL), where the first air sample would be taken. The pilot would then descend to and level off at 15 500 feet ASL to take the next sample. He would continue to descend and level off at 8 more pre-determined altitudes to take samples. The last air sample would be taken at 1000 feet ASL in the vicinity of Estevan Point. For these flights the aircraft did not enter airspace for which 2-way radio communication with air traffic services was required.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
http://www.tsb.gc.ca/eng/enquetes-investigations/aviation/2019/A19P0187/A19P0187.html
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/plane-crashes-on-west-coast-of-vancouver-island-1.5406364
https://theprovince.com/news/local-news/plane-crashes-on-vancouver-island/wcm/aa8a88d9-50a8-43dc-bf8a-469f9c7b0b40
https://beta.ctvnews.ca/local/vancouver-island/2019/12/22/1_4740861.html
https://vancouverisland.ctvnews.ca/sole-occupant-of-fatal-island-plane-crash-was-comox-valley-man-bc-coroners-service-1.4741897
TSB A19P0187
Images:
Photo: TSB Canada
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 22-Dec-2019 20:44 | Iceman 29 | Added |
| 22-Dec-2019 22:56 | Iceman 29 | Updated [Source, Embed code, Narrative] |
| 22-Dec-2019 22:59 | Iceman 29 | Updated [Embed code] |
| 22-Dec-2019 23:12 | Iceman 29 | Updated [Aircraft type, Embed code, Narrative] |
| 22-Dec-2019 23:16 | Iceman 29 | Updated [Embed code] |
| 23-Dec-2019 01:26 | Geno | Updated [Time, Total fatalities, Location, Destination airport, Source] |
| 23-Dec-2019 03:06 | RobertMB | Updated [Aircraft type, Other fatalities, Source] |
| 23-Dec-2019 20:13 | Iceman 29 | Updated [Embed code] |
| 23-Dec-2019 20:17 | Iceman 29 | Updated [Embed code, Narrative] |
| 23-Dec-2019 20:24 | Iceman 29 | Updated [Time, Operator, Total occupants, Source, Damage, Narrative] |
| 24-Dec-2019 17:00 | harro | Updated [Aircraft type, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source] |
| 22-Jan-2020 10:38 | harro | Updated [Time, Registration, Cn, Location, Source, Narrative] |
| 01-Jul-2020 06:52 | harro | Updated [Time, Location, Nature, Narrative, Photo, Accident report, ] |
| 01-Jul-2020 06:54 | harro | Updated [Embed code, Accident report, ] |
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