Beaver incident in Nanaimo?

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Cat Driver
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Beaver incident in Nanaimo?

Post by Cat Driver »

Anyone know about a Beaver incident in Nanaimo yesterday?
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Re: Beaver incident in Nanaimo?

Post by Bulawrench »

All OK we hear.
Be careful fellas.
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Re: Beaver incident in Nanaimo?

Post by Cat Driver »

All OK we hear.
Be careful fellas.
So the rumor was correct that a Beaver hit some trees on the approach to Nanaimo harbor?

Is there a CADORS link?
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Re: Beaver incident in Nanaimo?

Post by viccoastdog »

I haven't searched CADORS yet, but does anyone have further details? Hit trees on approach into Nanaimo Harbour! How does that happen?
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Re: Beaver incident in Nanaimo?

Post by Widow »

CADORS show nothing around Nanaimo for the last week.
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Re: Beaver incident in Nanaimo?

Post by Cat Driver »

All OK we hear.
Be careful fellas.

CADORS show nothing around Nanaimo for the last week.
Hmmm...

So if there was no incident why the rumor and why would someone say " all o.k. we hear " ......which was what I heard.....except the Beaver was not o.k.
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Re: Beaver incident in Nanaimo?

Post by Pigasso1 »

Oh something definately happened. Fortunately they made it to the dock safely and all are ok. Unfortunately, JBP isn't looking so pretty anymore. It has been taken to Sealand for repairs. How does a high-time west coast pilot hit the trees on an approach he's done hundreds of times? Sources say it wasn't foggy at the time although the fog had been in the harbour earlier in the day. Who makes the call to stay or go if weather is an issue besides the pilot? Where is the safety officer? Should he have been flying? Its such a shame. My thoughts are with the passengers, who, thank god are alive today.
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Re: Beaver incident in Nanaimo?

Post by Widow »

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Re: Beaver incident in Nanaimo?

Post by turbo-beaver »

I was in the area a couple times during the day. Departure Bay looked to be open when I flew past but the fog was very extensive and was moving around all day. The story I have heard from the folks flying at West Coast was the pilot hit the trees letting down on Newcastle Island in the fog, apparently thinking the dark spot was the water. The damage was estimated at $150,000.00 to the spar and oil cooler and wing which all tangled with the balsams on Newcastle. If there is nothing reported on the CADORS as yet, perhaps they just forgot to notify Transport.
Apparently another Beaver pilot at West Coast just walked off the job with no notice just a day after this accident. Makes one wonder what is going on over there. Thankfully, they got lucky in that no one was injured this time but that must have been one close call.
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Re: Beaver incident in Nanaimo?

Post by viccoastdog »

I also heard just about the same version of events and damage from a WCA pilot, plus I also was told one of the elevators was hanging on just by the tube- pretty amazing the pilot got it on the water.

I also heard that Harbour Air had scrapped their whole day of flying the Nanaimo run due to the fog coming and going.

So if the plane was in fact being flown down into the fog I have to ask the question "WHY DID THE PILOT DO IT?" He had five passengers on board whose safety is his responsibility - can't see the water when you get to Nanaimo; then go back to Vancouver, it's that simple. Period, full stop.
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Re: Beaver incident in Nanaimo?

Post by Cat Driver »

I also heard just about the same version of events and damage from a WCA pilot, plus I also was told one of the elevators was hanging on just by the tube- pretty amazing the pilot got it on the water.
.
It has been taken to Sealand for repairs.
So how did they get it to Sealand?
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Re: Beaver incident in Nanaimo?

Post by viccoastdog »

I heard from a WCA pilot they took it apart and trucked it to CR. Amazing this hasn't hit the news somewhere.
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Re: Beaver incident in Nanaimo?

Post by leaveit2beaver »

Congrats 2 the pilot who got the machine down ok with no injuries, even if he or she screwed up approaching through fog. I am sorry 2 say that I am not suprised, having worked there not long ago. The old coastal motto is still is alive and well at WCA u know the one "We,ll get u there if it kills us" Unfortunately they among some other operators still pressurize pilots to push limits loads weather etc.
The problems there stems from management who utilize fear motivation, believing that this antiaquated technique will ultimatily
maximize revenue. We r all human and can succumb to pressure percieved or real, management included.

WCA management have implimented some very proactive measures in the last year, but some fundimental issues must still be addressed if the want to succeed over the long term.

I sure hope they get there issues worked out for there r many good people there and the company has a lot of potential.
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Re: Beaver incident in Nanaimo?

Post by Cat Driver »

The old coastal motto is still is alive and well at WCA u know the one "We,ll get u there if it kills us" Unfortunately they among some other operators still pressurize pilots to push limits loads weather etc.
This type of mindset just drives me crazy.....Vancouver to Nanaimo is not flying in Africa, there is so much weather information available that there is no way in hell that a pilot can accidently fly into below VFR conditions...PERIOD...and as far as over loads are concerned there is no excuse for departing over loaded.....PERIOD.
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Re: Beaver incident in Nanaimo?

Post by viccoastdog »

We r all human and can succumb to pressure percieved or real, management included
That's a cop out: PIC has ultimate responsibilty and should know it...hell, it's a basic part of the training to be a pilot.
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Re: Beaver incident in Nanaimo?

Post by Widow »

This thread says:
it sounds like dhc-2 west coast air went into the trees the other day with 5 ladies on board
bent the wing toke off the tail
the pilot has since been let go
I heard he was trying to land in the fog in Nanaimo
any additional info would be great
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Re: Beaver incident in Nanaimo?

Post by leaveit2beaver »

I am with u Cat drvr, i too deplore that mind set, never the less there r those who still operate that way. Insofar as weather info in that area yes there r many resources in that neighborhood although there is no published wx for Nanaimo harbour or Van harbour (only atis). there is wx from lighthouses tafs and Metars for yvr and vic
but of course those are only snapshots. Pireps can be helpful of course,but if u set out in marginal conditions wx can deteriate rapidly below limits. I don,t know the particuliars of this occurence but I do know that the tree tops at newcastle island are around 500 ft.
I have gone across the straight many times and had wx go down along with others who also end up slugging along at 200 ft or less with forward vis down to a mile or less when wx reports indicated otherwise.
My point is that yes pilot responsibility remains, yetsome operators do push pilots to exceed limits personal or legal.
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Re: Beaver incident in Nanaimo?

Post by leaveit2beaver »

I agree viccoastdog the pilot is ultimatly responsible I have left employers who tried to veto my rights as a pilot. Never the less my point is some operators still do everything they can to force pilots to exceed limits and there will always be those who secumb to this unhealthy enviornment.
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Re: Beaver incident in Nanaimo?

Post by Widow »

viccoastdog wrote:I heard from a WCA pilot they took it apart and trucked it to CR.
... I heard differently. Perhaps my source is mistaken.
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Re: Beaver incident in Nanaimo?

Post by Cat Driver »

Once again lets stop the B.S. about accidently flying into weather so bad you can't see Newcastle island, that is just plain B.S.

The office in Nanaimo has a radio and they require you to report by Entrance Island so if the fog had become that bad that they couldn't see the island why didn't they tell the pilot, or did they?

I am not going to make any further comment about why this happened because I don't know the facts surrounding why it happened, but I am not going to accept anyone trying to convince me you can't get the present weather on this short run.
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Re: Beaver incident in Nanaimo?

Post by Jack Sparrow »

Beaver JBP-Hit trees on approach, Left wing, strut and oil cooler hit, along with left elevator torn nearly off.....WOW.

Gives new meaning to the phrase, " Now your logging"

Sad to hear the guy was sacked even before TSB and TC knew about the mishap, course, the guy was so screwed by the company he was eating at the Sally Ann every night thanks to their xmas present which was a pay cut without notice.

Then again he was the only guy they sent out flying for 2 weeks in crap weather beforehand, then he was a hero....

Other pilots have hit pilings with the wings of Twin Otters and flew 2 or 3 legs before mis-reporting it as a bird strike, over torqued engines on a DHC6, and banged and bumped DHC6 tails and wingtips all winter, but nothing done about that............

Never saw an airlione that needed a union to survive before....but this one is a candidate for sure..........

Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr Capn Jack Sparrow at your service

Its a sad company and one should avoid it
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Re: Beaver incident in Nanaimo?

Post by FOwithBO »

Without harbouring intentions of "trashing" WCA, here are some facts from my tenure there over 3 years:

- Not a bad joint to work at for time off.

- Used mickey mouse tactics to pay pilots unequally, thus saving a buck. Brutal for morale and stupidly unfair.

- Used typical "scare" tactics from the owners to keep people flying in marginal weather. By scare, I mean using little one on one meetings of general intimidation and asking really freaking annoying questions about the weather which was at their fingertips on NAVCANADA...they all had computers.

- Chief pilot tried to make me commit insurance fraud to cover up an accident. Freaking brutal.

- Chief pilot gave me zero notice of winter layoff(slower season), he was too spinless to call me at home. This came after I specifically spoke to him about the possibility of being laid off, he said I didnt have anything to worry about and at the time , though I had been offered work elsewhere to cover for it. I evidently lost that opportunity and got laid off collecting the high salary of pogie.

- They consitantly checked out pilots on the Beaver that didnt have enough training...........thus there were 3 beaver accidents thereafter.

- So, in a nutshell, I guess the morale of this factual story is , management can lick sweat from a Clydesdale's horse's testicles for all I care.
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Re: Beaver incident in Nanaimo?

Post by Ogee »

18,000 hour pilot. Fired.

Harbour Air never operated a flight into or out of Nanaimo that day.
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Re: Beaver incident in Nanaimo?

Post by FOwithBO »

18,000 hours. Wow. Interesting how quickly they are to fire when you make a mistake. But whats' the rest of the story?? We all know there is more. Whats his side of the story?

WCA had a culture that consisted of this. Bad weather day, the smarter, younger pilots stayed put and waited it out. Then, a certain "duke of Haphazard"... 30,000 Captain would strap on the spurs, put on the Stetson, and take his hapless FO on a ride into the fog with the score from the "Outlaw Jesse Wales" playing in the background, and gallop off into mayhem. Management would then wonder why everyone else wasnt flying!?!?? Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrutal culture. I tip my hat to a many pilots who flew there and did it safely and with dignity.
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Re: Beaver incident in Nanaimo?

Post by Bulawrench »

It was deemed as a crash because he had no controllability.When you have dangling tail bits, it is hard to control. Just lucky it planted itself on the water. The Beaver is a great airplane but not meant for logging. This is really enough from this company. Transport was slow to act on Sonic boom and look what happened there.
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