http://vancouversun.com/news/local-news ... 1482795411Vancouver-based Orca Airways received the heaviest fines from Transport Canada over the last 12-month period for aviation violations in B.C., a review of federal enforcement files by Postmedia News reveals.
Orca Airways was fined a total of $20,000 for three times permitting an aircraft to take off with equipment that was not serviceable, plus $5,000 for permitting an aircraft to take off that had been subjected to an abnormal occurrence without inspecting it for damage.
Company president Andrew Naysmith said in response Monday he is appealing the larger fine, saying he has a letter from the manufacturer of the Piper Navajo saying the airline operated safely. The airline continued to fly after shutting down one of its four tanks due to a mechanical problem, but Transport Canada says repairs should have been made to the tank first, he said.
The lesser fine involved a pilot who overshot the runway in Tofino but did not report the incident to the airline. He has since been fired.
“That’s unfair,” Naysmith said. “There was nothing we could do about that situation.”
Separate Transport Canada files on reportable incidents in 2016 show that on Oct. 8 an Orca Airways flight between Fort St. John and Dawson Creek “declared an emergency due to losing all navigation capabilities.” The crew “transitioned to standby instruments and climbed to 19,000 feet” to try to trouble shoot the problem. The plane landed safely at Grand Prairie, Alta.
Naysmith said that “all the screens went black” soon after the installation of new state-of-the-art cockpit equipment, which the manufacturer since replaced. “It’s a bit scary,” he confirmed. “Thankfully, it was a beautiful day.”
On May 26, an Orca Airways plane also declared an emergency “with one engine shut down/possible fuel issue.” The plane landed with fire fighting crews on standby, although at a different runway due to the flight crew making changes.
TC really cracking down these days...
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TC really cracking down these days...
Just saw this pop up on my Facebook feed.
Re: TC really cracking down these days...
I find this country to be extremely soft on fining anyone, in any industry. In mine, illegal insider trading is a joke, and treated as such. They jail people for violations in the US.
Maybe for some of these incidents, if the president was held personally responsible for deliberate company safety violations and had to cool his heels for 48 hours in the vancouver lockup, the cowboys out there would get the message.
Maybe for some of these incidents, if the president was held personally responsible for deliberate company safety violations and had to cool his heels for 48 hours in the vancouver lockup, the cowboys out there would get the message.
Re: TC really cracking down these days...
I guess this incidents ^ ^ are the reason why they started investigating... fines eventually followed.Separate Transport Canada files on reportable incidents in 2016 show that on Oct. 8 an Orca Airways flight between Fort St. John and Dawson Creek “declared an emergency due to losing all navigation capabilities.” The crew “transitioned to standby instruments and climbed to 19,000 feet” to try to trouble shoot the problem. The plane landed safely at Grand Prairie, Alta.
It is too bad it is taking incidents in order for TC to do anything.
Maybe they should make surprise visits up north and do some real checkups, not at 10 am when all wheels are up.
Re: TC really cracking down these days...
Unfair? This guy Naysmith should be asking himself why this pilot didn't report an overshot (he may already know the answer).The lesser fine involved a pilot who overshot the runway in Tofino but did not report the incident to the airline. He has since been fired.
“That’s unfair,” Naysmith said. “There was nothing we could do about that situation.”
Re: TC really cracking down these days...
The YVR southside cycle repeats itself...
Orca is as scabby as those that came before... TC should have acted then and they should act more definitely now, before see a series like we saw in '05...
Orca is as scabby as those that came before... TC should have acted then and they should act more definitely now, before see a series like we saw in '05...
Re: TC really cracking down these days...
It seems like the aviation industry in the socialist paradise of Canada is little different than any other industry. Enough money directed correctly, makes all issues disappear.
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Re: TC really cracking down these days...
Rookie, it has been like that as far back as I can remember.
And I started flying in 1953.
And I started flying in 1953.
The hardest thing about flying is knowing when to say no
After over a half a century of flying no one ever died because of my decision not to fly.
After over a half a century of flying no one ever died because of my decision not to fly.
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Re: TC really cracking down these days...
The audit system is becoming a thing of the past,,its now the SMS and when TC starts seeing incidents on the CADORS and accidents involving deaths, THEN they go past SMS and back to auditing till the company , in TC mind can manage itself again,,,,,, How pro-active is that? Are the wolves guarding over the chickens, until a hen gets eaten???I guess this incidents ^ ^ are the reason why they started investigating... fines eventually followed.
It is too bad it is taking incidents in order for TC to do anything.
Re: TC really cracking down these days...
What makes me laugh is the superiority complex Canadians have over Americans. This high and mighty we are morally superior attitude.Cat Driver wrote:Rookie, it has been like that as far back as I can remember.
And I started flying in 1953.
Get over yourselves. Canadians -- so called "morally superior" -- losers.
Re: TC really cracking down these days...
SMS works perfectly fine for big operations like Jazz and it is the biggest joke of the century for small operators, everyone is laughing.
Re: TC really cracking down these days...
Our institutions can't compete with the private market, TC is on the decline (I recently heard they are loosing their fleet), our gov is for sale at every election, what's better down south is individuals figured out that they have to stick together of they want things to happend.Rookie50 wrote:What makes me laugh is the superiority complex Canadians have over Americans. This high and mighty we are morally superior attitude.Cat Driver wrote:Rookie, it has been like that as far back as I can remember.
And I started flying in 1953.
Get over yourselves. Canadians -- so called "morally superior" -- losers.
Re: TC really cracking down these days...
Interesting that Buffalo got hit with $25K in fines in September.
Re: TC really cracking down these days...
Okay there.Rookie50 wrote:What makes me laugh is the superiority complex Canadians have over Americans. This high and mighty we are morally superior attitude.Cat Driver wrote:Rookie, it has been like that as far back as I can remember.
And I started flying in 1953.
Get over yourselves. Canadians -- so called "morally superior" -- losers.
It doesn't take much to find the same levels of banana republic corruption south of the border. But there it's in the name of patriotism or capitalism so it doesn't matter for some reason.
Re: TC really cracking down these days...
I'm confused. A story about TC enforcing the regulations became a thread complaining about TC not enforcing the regulations, of course blamed on Canada's socialism which is always bad and responsible for every wrong that ever happens or is perceived to have happened. TC not enforcing the rules is criticized by a guy who loathes TC for when they do enforce the rules, and admiration is again expressed for the US system where they are now committed to getting rid of all the rules completely and letting industry do whatever they want without any pesky government interference or constraints.
Very confusing.
Very confusing.
Re: TC really cracking down these days...
Transport Canada Civil Aviation is being micro-managed by work-from-home managers in YOW who advanced to management by default. Since anyone with any real world experience has either jumped ship or is too clever to be duped into the 'EX' world of confusion.
The collective expertise is about 4 out 10 across the country. Nothing gets approved without the puzzle palace making the call.
The collective expertise is about 4 out 10 across the country. Nothing gets approved without the puzzle palace making the call.
Couldn't Stand the Weather
Re: TC really cracking down these days...
Rockie wrote:I'm confused. A story about TC enforcing the regulations became a thread complaining about TC not enforcing the regulations, of course blamed on Canada's socialism which is always bad and responsible for every wrong that ever happens or is perceived to have happened. TC not enforcing the rules is criticized by a guy who loathes TC for when they do enforce the rules, and admiration is again expressed for the US system where they are now committed to getting rid of all the rules completely and letting industry do whatever they want without any pesky government interference or constraints.
Very confusing.
Sorry. I don't see a $5000 or $20,000 fine as "enforcement" for blatant violations, which of course itself up for debate, what that is.
1% of annual gross revenue -- that might be a meaningful fine. Don't know what Orca's is.
I don't think much of any president or CEO that whines "that's unfair" or "we're not responsible."
A CEO to me is like a PIC of a flight. Whatever happens, you're responsible.
Re: TC really cracking down these days...
And these are only the things that they got caught for, as a result of Flight services reporting them.
Re: TC really cracking down these days...
I do believe it was poor choice of words when they used "over-shot", I expect they meant over-ran... which resulted in questionable airworthiness of the aircraft, possible damage. The subsequient take-off most likely occured without the aircraft being inspected by an approved person i.e. an AME which is a no no... I'm a little sympathetic of the owner if the pilot did so without managements knowledge and didn't report it after the fact.
Re: TC really cracking down these days...
Any industry fine should hit the owner, meaningfully when appropriate. That teaches a lesson about proper management and supervision, otherwise anyone could get off by stating "we didn't know" and fire the employee when it was clearly part of the culture. And many try that, in many industries.Gorgons wrote:I do believe it was poor choice of words when they used "over-shot", I expect they meant over-ran... which resulted in questionable airworthiness of the aircraft, possible damage. The subsequient take-off most likely occured without the aircraft being inspected by an approved person i.e. an AME which is a no no... I'm a little sympathetic of the owner if the pilot did so without managements knowledge and didn't report it after the fact.
If I was TC I wouldn't be impressed the owner complaining to the media, either, trying to embarass TC. That isn't how you professionally handle matters, regardless of what one thinks of TC or their decisions. Bad idea inviting a lot more scrutiny.
Should be like hockey coaches complaining about the referee. Complain publicly, embarass the officials, get fined.
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Re: TC really cracking down these days...
It is largely management that sets company culture. Everything from that "get-er-done" to "TC's impossible rules" and instilling fear of inspectors into their pilots. The company should definitely take a good hit when a pilot breaks the rules. Training and line-indoc is primarily teaching new hires how the company operates. How the company follows, bends or breaks the rules. Scummy companies are the ones to create a culture of bending rules and then making a scapegoat of the pilot when they get caught. Of course management didn't tell the pilot to takeoff overweight, they just said these bags better make it to the destination.