Warrior with 2 on board fails to arrive in Kamloops

[CpnCrunch]

Here's the weather radar for 3pm, when they were refuelling:



Cranbrook is just north of that red return in the bottom-right corner, I think. That line of weather is moving directly north. From what I can see, the only thunderstorm in the entire region was the one at Cranbrook just after they were refuelling. Even if they didn't hit that thunderstorm, they probably would have had to fly through some nasty weather.

[freakonature]

Sounds like they are hunting an elt.

[cncpc]

Golf course guy at Crawford Bay says sunshine all afternoon, not much wind, no thunderstorms in daylight hours.

[Mick G]

This whole thing us starting to sound likr Steve Fosset

[anofly]

Folks,flying light aircraft. If the weather is not perfect in the mountains, you fly the "marked vfr routes" that mostly follow the valleys and have airports along them, and a big highway. If its bad ahead, you fly back to the last airport and wait, and you dont get yourself in to where there is no back door. If you think you might lose your back door, you dont move. IF you do move, treat the trip like a bunch of hops, airport to airport. you dont go gps direct in challenging weather and start weaving and ducking, or you may boldly end up doing what many before you have done.

[cpknight]

+1 anofly

[GyvAir]

Every time I read about cases like this, I wonder why use of such readily available technology such as the Spot Tracker is not the norm, if not required for flights over terrain such as this.
The pure economics of it would probably justify mandating wider spread use of them, never mind the potential lives saved and reduction in suffering of those involved and their families.

[CpnCrunch]

Golf course guy at Crawford Bay says sunshine all afternoon, not much wind, no thunderstorms in daylight hours.

Sure he's talking about Thursday? Radar seems to show rainshowers all afternoon there.

[cncpc]

Golf course guy at Crawford Bay says sunshine all afternoon, not much wind, no thunderstorms in daylight hours.

Sure he's talking about Thursday? Radar seems to show rainshowers all afternoon there.

Yes, but I thought that odd too. We discussed the missing aircraft.

[cncpc]

Every time I read about cases like this, I wonder why use of such readily available technology such as the Spot Tracker is not the norm, if not required for flights over terrain such as this.
The pure economics of it would probably justify mandating wider spread use of them, never mind the potential lives saved and reduction in suffering of those involved and their families.

I'm surprised every flight school doesn't use them, especially for renters.

[trey kule]

Folks,flying light aircraft. If the weather is not perfect in the mountains, you fly the "marked vfr routes" that mostly follow the valleys and have airports along them, and a big highway. If its bad ahead, you fly back to the last airport and wait, and you dont get yourself in to where there is no back door. If you think you might lose your back door, you dont move. IF you do move, treat the trip like a bunch of hops, airport to airport. you dont go gps direct in challenging weather and start weaving and ducking, or you may boldly end up doing what many before you have done.

Oh, thank you, thank you, for sharing such wisdom with us. It is not only totaly relevant, but I am quite certain you have saved countless pilots from certain death in the mountains.
Your advice is textbok perfect and not tainted in the least by experience. We can all learn better that way..

And to those that posted the weather or got updates from a golf course guy. All relevant. It has been a great learning experience.
No idle gossip here about the unfortunate incident two people mightt well have encountered. It is all about posting advice and speculating. But respectfully, of course, and only so we can learn from it. This type of situation has never happened before so it is a once in a lifetime opportunity to learn from it..

[cncpc]

From military a couple of days ago...

A CP-140 Aurora has also conducted a sensory sweep of the area to search for any signals, but that hasn’t turned up anything. A 406 beacon signal was reported, however, it is very weak and the military can’t direction-find it, Szkwarek said.

“It could be a red herring at this point, but we’re leaving no stone unturned on that and if we pick up on a harder ping, then we will absolutely prosecute it,” he added.

Anyone know what kind of signal would come with the antennae busted off?

[CpnCrunch]

More info on the ELT signal:

http://globalnews.ca/news/3522521/searc ... ing-plane/

[AirFrame]

From military a couple of days ago...

A CP-140 Aurora has also conducted a sensory sweep of the area to search for any signals, but that hasn’t turned up anything. A 406 beacon signal was reported, however, it is very weak and the military can’t direction-find it, Szkwarek said.

Yet again showing that the 406 is not a lot better than the 121.5 it replaced. I thought one of the benefits of the 406 was that a single ping would give location?

[bigsky]

I thought the Americans had AWAC's patrollng 24/7'along the border..one would think that they
would have tracked this aircraft on departure from Cranbrook..

[groundpilot]

From military a couple of days ago...

A CP-140 Aurora has also conducted a sensory sweep of the area to search for any signals, but that hasn’t turned up anything. A 406 beacon signal was reported, however, it is very weak and the military can’t direction-find it, Szkwarek said.

Yet again showing that the 406 is not a lot better than the 121.5 it replaced. I thought one of the benefits of the 406 was that a single ping would give location?

Almost every 406 Beacon I've homed also had 121.5 & 243.0 paired with it...you literally had to choose which one you wanted to home...

[photofly]

From military a couple of days ago...

A CP-140 Aurora has also conducted a sensory sweep of the area to search for any signals, but that hasn’t turned up anything. A 406 beacon signal was reported, however, it is very weak and the military can’t direction-find it, Szkwarek said.

Yet again showing that the 406 is not a lot better than the 121.5 it replaced. I thought one of the benefits of the 406 was that a single ping would give location?

If a 406 ELT has either an attached or built-in GPS (neither of which is mandatory) - and the GPS can get a fix, and if its antenna is adequately placed to get a signal to a geostationary satellite, then a single ping will give a location. Otherwise it needs an overhead pass by one of the LEO satellites, which can take up to an hour.

[helione]

well it seems strange and if I'm wrong but this pilot just got his licence and the ink hasn't had time to dry yet and then making a cross the rocks hop in perhaps iffy weather, I believe that plane was a rental so how does that work ? I truly hope they will be found safe and sound

[lhalliday]

Every time I read about cases like this, I wonder why use of such readily available technology such as the Spot Tracker is not the norm, if not required for flights over terrain such as this.
The pure economics of it would probably justify mandating wider spread use of them, never mind the potential lives saved and reduction in suffering of those involved and their families.

I'm surprised every flight school doesn't use them, especially for renters.

This is SOP for the folks who taught me to fly (Langley Flying School), and for people I rented planes from later (Pacific Flying Club).

Now that I have my own plane I fly wth a PLB on all cross-country flights. The only message it sends is HELP, but that's all it needs to do. I've also done mountain flying training in B.C. and California.

...laura

[cncpc]

I thought the Americans had AWAC's patrollng 24/7'along the border..one would think that they
would have tracked this aircraft on departure from Cranbrook..

They don't have AWACS on the border. I believe that the border patrol people use Citations or PC12s with mostly infra red and optical gear.

There was a 172 with pilot only on board that went missing between Revelstoke and Nanaimo, or thereabouts, a few years back. It was last seen by radar near Lytton at 5000 feet or so. Too low to be seen by the radar head up on the Fly Hills there just west of Salmon Arm. The word came out that the hit came from a US border patrol Citation running parallel just below the line, and only briefly, I suppose when the line of sight up the canyon was briefly possible.

I don't think AWACS are used for regular surveillance. Drones may still be used. People seriously up to no good aren't going to be stopped by AWACS. Or drones.

Not much being said about after takeoff coms with this aircraft. Not even if they cleared the zone west out of Cranbrook.