Unstable landing approach led to October 2021 plane crash at Westlock airport: TSB | 24CA News

A high-performance aircraft carrying 4 individuals crashed on the Westlock Regional Airport two years in the past as a consequence of operator error, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada decided in a report launched Wednesday.

The 2017 Daher-Socata TBM-910 six-seater single-turboprop aircraft crashed whereas touchdown on the airport north of Edmonton on Oct. 10, 2021.

The aircraft took off from Vernon, B.C., that morning and made a cease on the Springbank Airport close to Calgary to choose up two passengers and drop off a motorcycle, the TSB mentioned, earlier than it carried on north in the direction of Edmonton.

The TSB report mentioned the pilot initially supposed to land on the Villeneuve Airport simply west of Edmonton, however due to climate situations, he referred to as into the Edmonton terminal and requested the flight plan be amended to land additional north at Westlock Aerodrome as a substitute.

While he was conducting an instrument flight guidelines (IFR) journey — which might qualify him to fly by means of clouds and poor climate — the TSB mentioned the pilot needed to land in Westlock as a substitute “because weather conditions at that location met visual meteorological conditions, which would permit a visual flight rules (VFR) approach.”

VFR permits pilots to function plane in climate clear sufficient to see the place they’re going, with strict necessities for visibility and cloud cowl.

Essentially, the climate situations on that October day had been clearer north of Edmonton.

The TSB mentioned the aircraft was coming in to land on Runway 28 on the Westlock Aerodrome round 11 a.m. with the pilot and three passengers on board when the crash occurred.

The plane made its closing method above the optimum three-degree descent path and, in the course of the steep method that adopted, the plane’s airspeed regularly decelerated and resulted in an unstabilized method.

“On short final, the pilot reduced the rate of descent by increasing pitch rather than by adding power. As a result, the airspeed continued to decrease and the aircraft entered a stall, resulting in a hard landing and a subsequent bounce,” the TSB report mentioned.

When the plane bounced, the pilot initiated a go-around — an aviation maneuver through which the touchdown is aborted and the pilot makes an attempt to climb again up into the air and try one other touchdown.

While making use of engine energy for the go-around, the TSB mentioned the plane’s proper wing tip dragged alongside the bottom, which then precipitated the aircraft to roll to the left, flip upside-down and are available to a relaxation on its roof, within the grass about 50 toes from the runway.

“During the attempted rejected landing, the aircraft entered a 25-degree nose-high attitude and approached a stall condition. This low-speed condition combined with the high power setting resulted in the aircraft entering a rapid roll to the left and striking the runway in an inverted attitude,” the report said.

The three passengers had been capable of get out of the aircraft by means of the principle cabin door: one had critical accidents and the opposite two had minor accidents.

The TSB mentioned the passengers — who had routinely flown with the pilot and had been conversant in the aircraft — didn’t obtain a security briefing earlier than departure or earlier than touchdown that day.

Multiple objects within the cabin weren’t secured and never all the passengers had been carrying their shoulder harnesses.

As a outcome, one passenger was severely injured when unfastened objects had been thrown round within the cabin and when she was rocked about in the course of the violence of the crash.

The 60-year-old pilot, who was severely injured, was trapped within the cockpit for about two hours earlier than first responders rescue him.

Although the pilot was carrying his lap belt, the TSB mentioned he didn’t put on the airbag-equipped shoulder harness. The shoulder harness straps weren’t fixed to the lap belt, and this allowed the pilot to be flung across the cockpit in the course of the crash.

“At some point during the impact sequence, the pilot’s head struck the ceiling and pilot door frame structure and he received serious head injuries,” the TSB mentioned.

An emergency locator transmitter sign was acquired by the search and rescue satellite tv for pc system. The plane was considerably broken and there was no post-impact fireplace, the TSB mentioned.

A TSB examination of the wreckage didn’t uncover any indication of airframe or engine failure or system malfunctions.

The pilot was taking a drugs that was not disclosed throughout his final aviation medical examination three weeks previous to the crash and isn’t authorised to be used by holders of flight crew licences.

That mentioned, the TSB discovered there was no indication his efficiency was affected by components like fatigue or medicines, so the TSB decided the crash was attributable to selections made in the course of the onerous touchdown.

The TBM-910 was registered to a numbered firm within the Granite Ridge neighborhood simply west of Calgary, and based mostly out of the close by Springbank Airport, in line with Transport Canada registration knowledge.

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