Search took 48 hours to initiate!?!?!

[teacher]

I wonder what went wrong with the system? I remember people saying on the board that this guy should have stayed with the plane. Although I still disagree with his decision, I understand his frustration at being out there for 2 days.

Pilot wonders what took rescuers so long
Last Updated: Tuesday, August 8, 2006 | 10:45 AM CT
CBC News

A pilot whose Cessna went down near Repulse Bay late last month says he's happy to be alive, but he wants to know why no one started looking for him until he'd been missing for two days.

David Klapstein's plane crashed late on July 24, but the search didn't begin until two days later.

Klapstein was found the following day, walking about eight kilometres from his plane wearing only one shoe and sporting a badly split lip.

Klapstein said he knew the wreckage would be easier to spot from the air than a lone man limping across the tundra.

But he said after two nights shivering on the land with no sign of a search plane, he'd give up hope of being found.

"The longer a person is out in the wilderness people think about them that they're less likely to be alive," he said. "So I came to the conclusion that if nobody was going to come and find me, I had to go and let people know that I was OK."

Klapstein said the crash happened after one of his gas tanks ran out of fuel. His plane lost altitude and crashed while he was trying to figure out the best place to land.

System usually works

Klapstein said he filed a flight plan with the North Bay Flight Service Centre, so he expected a search would begin within an hour of his failure to arrive in Rankin Inlet from a mining camp near Repulse Bay, at the top of Hudson Bay, on July 24.

Klapstein said he knows from experience that the system usually works very well.

While he's grateful to his rescuers and to the people who welcomed him in Repulse Bay, he wants to know why the search system took so long this time.

"In some situations, in two days there could have been fatalities," he said. "In my case, I was OK. Still, I really hope we can all learn together from what happened there and why it was missed so that it doesn't happen again."

During the search, officials told the media the plane had been en route from Rankin Inlet to the mine camp on July 26 when it failed to reach its destination.

A spokesperson for NavCanada said the department is investigating and won't comment until the investigation is complete.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/north/story/20 ... talks.html

[greykin]

Yikes.

[MUSKEG]

Typical government response. We really screwed up here and are laying low until we can blame someone else and/or hope the problem goes away.Why do we pay exorbitant fees for almost everything and then are so complacent about non action, but nothing will happen which is so Canadian. A couple of good old ass whoopins would solve alot of problems. Lets move some people out of positions that they don't have a clue about, we all know that the incompetent ones get promoted to get them out of one dept. or another and the next thing you know is they are the department.

[Cat Driver]

This moral rot is endemic in Canadian Government offices.

You need look no further than the Pacific region of TCCA to find what happens when you get stuck with one of Ottawa's good old boys being put in charge.

This region is the " poster boy " of bureaucratic missfits and as long as we have the present gang in charge in Ottawa nothing will change.

Hopefully the court cases coming up charging TCCA with failure to ensure the regulations are enforced fairly will at least bring these people into public scrutiny...for all the good that will do.

The sooner the industry refuses to be managed by these incompetents the better off Canadian aviation will be.

Tower C and 800 Burrard is long overdue for a complete house cleaning.

Cat

[Donald]

It seems that sometimes when you file with North Bay, that flight plans
"get lost". Maybe this happens with other FSS facilities as well, but it definitely happens at this one. A couple years ago we brought this up with TC in regards to a flight plan issue, and they investigated it then and agreed that there was a problem with the system. I guess it hasn't been fixed yet.

Frustrated or not, buddy was probably still better off staying with the plane. But then again, I was not in his shoes so I probably shouldn't comment.

[sanjet]

Weird, sometimes we'll come in 20 minutes (maybe a bit more) later then our flight plan indicated and FSS would blast our dispatchers saying they almost started spinning the choppers since they weren't updated....

[Hotel Tango]

I'm confused a bit... It said the plane crashed on the 24th but then at the end of the article it said "the plane had been en route from Rankin Inlet to the mine camp on July 26 when it failed to reach its destination"

Is that a typo or did they screw up the dates on the flight plan?

I was up in the area on the 24th, and I remember the weather was really poor, maybe that's why they didn't start the search.

[phillyfan]

"the crash happened after one of his gas tanks ran out of fuel"
So he blew a tank, Left his boot with the plane and started walking and as near as I can tell he also left his ELT in the off position.
Yet he questions the actions of the people who plucked his ass off the tundra.
Nice!

[WS739]

exactly............follow your checklst properly and they wont need to come risk their lives over your stupid mistake.

[ettw]

Although I was not up here when it happened, my understanding is that weather delayed the boys and girls from the SAR aircraft from getting into the air from Hall Beach. Don't know whether that explains the delay that he is talking about or not.

[TheCheez]

exactly............follow your checklst properly and they wont need to come risk their lives over your stupid mistake.

Good thing we've got all the facts before we go and play pokey chest. The media always gets it right eh?

[just curious]

Bullshit. We were looking, so was the Airforce. Manually turn on the ELT next time, and wait by the plane.

[Redneck_pilot86]

This is hearsay, just so everyone knows. I talked to the chopper pilot who picked this guy and the SARtechs up after they found the guy. He said that the guy who crashed had been flying low level, and looked into the cockpit to check something and put it into the rocks. No mention of running out of fuel or anything. Maybe thats just a convienent excuse, considering the fire? Maybe he was just flying in weather well beyond his limititations and those of the A/c?

Good to hear he made it out alive though.

ST

[talkinghead]

Do not leave your aircraft. I have a feeling this guy was not thinking to clearly when he started walking, with one boot on. I'm glad it worked out for him.

[weatherman]

Mr. Klapstein departed Hall Beach on a company note a week or so before his crash. He should have been aware that this is against regulations in the ADIZ. He also flew into Hall Beach a few days after that and tried to land on a day when the visibility was being reported as 1/4 mile in fog for hours, with no change in sight. He was observed on this attempt flying low level over the North Warning Systems radar site towards the runway. All pilots and other airport employees in Hall Beach at the time were confused by his decision-making. I also heard he failed to close his flight plan once or twice, which may be why they delayed the search. I can also confirm that the weather all over the area was down in fog at the time, and had been for days. No one else was flying, so he shouldn't have been either. As for the one boot and the ELT and the running out of gas? Well, it's easy to run out of gas when you're lost in the fog, lose your boot in the muddy tundra and forget to have your ELT activated when you're too busy worrying about other things than flying safely. He told me personally that he had crashed before, so maybe he's just a little bushed and needs a long vacation.

[Vector2ILS]

If this is true, than that puts a whole new spin on things.

Why the one boot?

[co-joe]

...
Frustrated or not, buddy was probably still better off staying with the plane. But then again, I was not in his shoes so I probably shouldn't comment.

Neither was he. lol

So how long would the walk to Repulse have been anyway?

[cyyz]

Please don't blame the Gov't, NavCan is at fault.....

As for him having prior "incidents/accidents" I don't give a rats ass if I had crashed 80 times, I want those choppers in the air after my flight plans ETA has lapsed, what's the point of filing if you're gonna give that excuse, oh you have a prior SAR, sorry we can't honour our commitment...

Good on Navcan for not commenting, wait till they come up with their excuse....

Again, i don't care if I'm a n00b and fly in 0000OVC and 0 SM I want SAR dispatched if I haven't reported in....

IF SAR was dispatched and they couldn't and won't go because of WX so be it... But if they weren't notified that's not good, what kind of crappy service am I getting from NavCan...

And yes, probably more to the story then reported......

[just curious]

Mssrs, YYZ, muskeg, and others who are beating up the system, are in this particular instance speaking out of the wrong orifice.

• Search action by the client company was started
• As well Arctic Radio passed the missing report to YTR RCC
• YTR RCC passed the report to 440 in YK as the closest Mil operator. 436 Sqn in YTR and 400 in Borden were launched
• We, as well as other operators in CYUX were contacted.KBAL CDn Helicopters the Navajo survey guys
• Since our aircraft were in the Rankin Vicinity, and thus out of the shite wx, we went.
• Aircraft in CYUX close to Roche Bay, could not depart as wx was WOXOF
• All our arctic otters have VHF homers, to locate fuel caches on moving sea ice and to locate lost aircraft via ELT transmission. Guess what we didn't hear?

The gentleman who was the subject of our efforts WAS found. Good, since that was the object of our efforts.


A few points for perspective pilots who want to fly in the same area need to be raised. Before you go to work up there, you should read Lost In the Barrens, by Farley Mowat. If you aren't a reader, try the Snow Walker movie. Also useful to you will be watching the movie Ordeal in the Arctic

• One, the terrain is difficult to walk on. This is the area within 5 km of Repulse Note the Hills. Wear Hiking boots, and do the damn things up!
  
  
• This is the Camp Area. Not too hospitable for landing on. Less for Hiking across. Plan if you are going to ignore advise to travel 5 km or less a day.
  
• Having aircraft go down in the area is not a new phenomena, as this York from the fifties illustrates.This is just five miles from the Roche Bay camp.
  
  
• It didn't become any safer in the 70's looking at the DC3 near Cirkpa Lake 10 miles away from this guy's camp
  
• 435 Squadron lost a Herc near Alert a few years ago. All the occupants had survival gear. Sadly it wasn't near to where they were seated. When the aircraft broke up, crew and survival gear were separated . Make sure the company buys good gear for your area, not crap that's on sale. Then carry your own anyway. Every flight.
  
• If your aircraft does not have an HF radio, or an Irridium phone, you are ill-equipped to operate here.
  
• If you do not always carry a small bag to fit under your seat with your personal survival gear, then you are not mentally prepared to be here. My bag has: A) a gortex bivvy and a fleece sleeping bag liner. B) A pair of gortex pants, and fleece longjohns, shirt & socks. C)Shoes, D)a small first aid kit, E)a water bottle F)a Lleatherman and G) an irridium phone.... plus an IPOD so I can wait for people to come and get me.
• We like seeing new faces up here. Its a facinating place. But come prepared, and if the worst happens Stay near the plane!

[TC Guy]

JC...

Just a quick note to thank you and your fellow SAR people for the great job that you do (I am assuming that is what you do!).

It is sure a comfort to know that if the worst were to happen, I have a group of skilled and dedicated professionals to assist me.

Again, thanks.

-Guy

[wowwick]

JC is just one of us who fly up here for a living.... if we don't look out for our own (no matter how stupid some of us might be ) we wouldn't have much to look forward to when we do go down.

Good work JC

[Daart]

Excellent post JC. Those of us who make our living in this part of the world, understand the risks involved, and do our best to be prepared. This accident lists all the mistakes that can be, and were made. This fellow is unbelievably and incredibly lucky. For those of you who fly north of 60, and do not have the luxury of a seasoned captain to learn from, swallow your pride and ask questions, many questions. The people at ATL or KBAL or whoever would be happy to help out. Info as to proper survival gear, emergency landing areas, weather phenomenas in certain areas, all may help you out in a pinch. As pilots we should strive to learn from the mistakes of others, then something like this happens and you realize that all we do are make the same mistakes over and over.