Aging plane part blamed for crash
Cylinder in float aircraft's engine failed
By: Kevin Rollason
23/05/2009 1:00 AM
WINNIPEG — An aging airplane engine part is being blamed for the forced landing of a float plane into a marsh last year.
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada says the failure of a cylinder in the engine of a Noorduyn Norseman Mark V, operated by Gogal Air Services Ltd., caused the plane to lose power 10 minutes into a 20-minute flight from Burntwood Lake Lodge to Snow Lake on July 6, 2008.
The seven-page report issued by the TSB said the pilot tried to reach a lake about five kilometres away.
But when he realized he couldn't, he put the plane down in the marsh.
The plane was damaged when it clipped some trees before stopping.
The TSB's Peter Hildebrand said there were no injuries to the pilot or the seven passengers on board.
Hildebrand said Friday the final impact was soft enough that the plane's emergency locator beacon didn't go off, so the pilot radioed another company aircraft for help.
Hildebrand said the cylinder failed because of metal fatigue, caused either by microscopic porous metal left during the manufacturing process, or by stress, or by a combination of both.
"The parts are old and every now and then problems arise," he said.
"Was the porosity the issue or wear and tear? Some things can't be established.
"How do you prevent this? It's not an easy question. Transport Canada has looked at it and issued advisories on the best way to inspect them.
"But, in the end, I don't know if anything is 100 per cent fool proof."
The TSB investigation found that the part failed about halfway between inspections and more than 200 hours before the engine's next scheduled overhaul.
The TSB report said the type of engine in the plane began to be manufactured in 1925 and hasn't been built since 1960. The engine is in both the Norseman and the DHC-3 Otter aircraft.
No new cylinders have been manufactured since 1960, but there is still a large inventory of unused parts available.
According to Transport Canada records, the plane flown by Gogal was built in 1948, and has been registered by the company since 1995.
There are 12 Norseman Mark V currently registered in Canada while there are 126 DHC-3 Otters.
Bill Zuk, of the Manitoba Aviation Council, said the Norseman planes are "a sturdy plane. They are well built.
"They were the first Canadian plane designed for the north... it's the workhorse of Canada's north."
Zuk said the planes are so respected that given a choice, many pilots will choose to take the controls of a Norseman instead of a more modern plane.
Bob Polinuk, owner of Selkirk Air, a company that works on these types of planes, said the first one was built in 1934.
The TSB report is not yet up on the website, perhaps because it has not yet been translated. A Class 3 investigation though. I wondered what was "knew" to be learned.CADORS Number: 2008C2253 Reporting Region: Prairie & Northern
Occurrence Information
Occurrence Type: Accident Occurrence Date: 2008/07/06
Occurrence Time: 1400 Z Day Or Night: day-time
Fatalities: 0 Injuries: 0
Canadian Aerodrome ID: CJE4 Aerodrome Name: Snow Lake
Occurrence Location: 15 NM N of Snow Lake (CJE4) Province: Manitoba
Country: CANADA World Area: North America
Reported By: NAV CANADA AOR Number: 96064-V1
TSB Class Of Investigation: 3 TSB Occurrence No.: A08C0145
Event Information
ELT/SAR/comm search
Engine malfunction - other
Forced landing
Loss of power
Aircraft Information
Flight #:
Aircraft Category: Aeroplane Country of Registration: CANADA
Make: NOORDUYN Model: NORSEMAN MK V
Year Built: 1948 Amateur Built: No
Engine Make: PRATT & WHITNEY-USA Engine Model: R-1340-AN-1
Engine Type: Reciprocating Gear Type: Sea
Phase of Flight: Cruise Damage: Substantial
Owner: GOGAL AIR SERVICES LTD. Operator: GOGAL AIR SERVICES LTD. (4477)
Operator Type: Commercial
Detail Information
User Name: Ridley, Rod
Date: 2008/07/07
Further Action Required: No
O.P.I.: System Safety
Narrative: A Gogal Air Service Noorduyn Norseman with 8 people on board, was en route from Burntwood Lake Lodge to Snow Lake, MB when the aircraft experienced a loss of power sufficient enough that the aircraft could not maintain level flight. The pilot made a forced landing in a swamp approximately 15 NM north of Snow Lake. There were no injuries but the aircraft received substantial damage. TSB is currently assessing the accident and may send investigators to the site.
User Name: Ridley, Rod
Date: 2008/07/08
Further Action Required: No
O.P.I.: System Safety
Narrative: UPDATE TSB reported that the Gogal Air Services Noorduyn Mk. V Norseman was en route from Burntwood Lodge, MB, to Snow Lake. About 15 NM north of Snow Lake, engine performance degraded (P. & W. R-1340) and the pilot carried out a forced landing in a marsh. The pilot and seven passengers exited the aircraft without serious injuries. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
User Name: Ridley, Rod
Date: 2008/07/23
Further Action Required: No
O.P.I.: System Safety
Narrative: UPDATE TSB has classified this investigation as a Class 3 and a Minister's Observer has been appointed from System Safety.
The Otter is waaaayyyyyy better! (IMHO) 
