Safety Alert - Adoption of Floatplane Safety Best Practices

[CD]

Civil Aviation Safety Alert (CASA) No. 2011-03

VOLUNTARY ADOPTION OF FLOATPLANE SAFETY BEST INDUSTRY PRACTICES

PURPOSE:

The purpose of this Civil Aviation Safety Alert (CASA) is to encourage all commercial and private floatplane operators to voluntarily adopt floatplane safety best industry practices.

BACKGROUND:

In its Final Report A09P0397, concerning the November 29, 2009, fatal DHC-2 Beaver accident at Lyall Harbour, British Columbia, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) determined that the risk of drowning for occupants of floatplane accidents remains high.

Between 1990 and 2009 there were 134 accidents of commercial aircraft equipped with floats or amphibious floats registered in Canada. Of those, 39 were investigated by the TSB, 31 were considered to be survivable, six were not survivable, and two were unknown. Of the 31 survivable accidents, none of the occupants was wearing a Personal Flotation Device (PFD).

Transport Canada takes the issue of floatplane safety seriously and has taken several initiatives over the years to address this issue through comprehensive safety promotion, awareness campaigns and regulatory actions. This present CASA is issued to further promote floatplane safety to industry.

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

Operators and flight crews are strongly encouraged to voluntarily adopt the best industry practices in relation to floatplane safety, including:

•upper body restraints to be used by front seat passengers;
•comprehensive safety briefing to passengers, including the proper usage of personal flotation devices during and after emergency egress;
•emergency egress training for flight crew; and
•the adoption of aircraft safety design improvements facilitating egress.

For more information, please visit: www.tc.gc.ca/floatplanes

[DHCdriver]

none of the occupants was wearing a Personal Flotation Device (PFD).

I personally think that the PFD's should be changed to the harness style. At least the occupants are wearing them and God forbid if anything was to happen at least they have them on. Sure the old style work but there stuffed in a pouch behind the seats, and once your flipped over in black water, your first instinct is to get out and your PFD is still in the aircraft. A good passenger briefing telling them that these things have to be deployed once outside the A/C. Just a thought. DHC.

[klmarsha]

Well I have taken an underwater egress course and I think passengers wearing lifejackets will be problematic. First in an emergency, some will inflate them in the airplane, effectively trapping them against the floor (with airplane likely upside down). I think better door latches and handles (like the ones Transport made operators remove from Beavers) and really good passenger briefings will make more impact than the mandatory wearing of lifejackets. The very first modification I made to my floatplane was to install BAS restraint systems. Seemed pretty dumb to drown in my seat because I hit my head and was knocked out. All of those recommendations Transport listed came from the inaugural meetings of the Floatplane Operator's Association here on the west coast. They insisted that we as operators meet and try to come up with best practices, or they would regulate. So far, they've allowed the operators to decide what is best practice, but you will likely see these as regs pretty soon. I'm still waffling on the lifejackets, but the mustangs are now approved and they may be okay, but when some kid inflates his from Van to Vic Harbour, the re-charging will be more than the seat fare. Still not sure on that one.

[tiny]

We were told that dispite the ammendment to CAR551 we could not use Mustang PFDs because of the definition of a PFD in CAR101. They need to be a little more organized.

Tiny

[CD]

Ya, we had that discussion here last year too:

AvCanada: Wearing a life vest while flying on floats

You can use a Mustang PFD but would have to have another approved flotation device on board as well. Hopefully, those rule changes will come through soon...

Or, just get the Mustang life preserver that meets the TSO:

MD1127 - Twin Chamber Aviaton Passenger Life Preserver

Edit to add:

In July 2011, TC will hold a focus group with selected members of industry to determine the most effective means of addressing the recommendations related to rapid egress and the mandatory use of personal floatation devices. The conclusion of the focus group will be presented to the Canadian Aviation Regulation Advisory Council (CARAC) by the spring of 2012 as the basis for amendments to the rules and any proposed rule changes will be consulted expeditiously. TC will also expedite the implementation of proposed regulatory amendments which have already been consulted, which will provide for increased flexibility in the possible types of Personal Flotation Devices.

Responses to Transportation Safety Board Recommendations - A09P0397