Crash at Iles-de-la-Madeleine

[photofly]

Ask for a contact approach...

[timel]

From what I was told the pilot had his ifr since 3 years, but he didn't any commercial experience and he wasn't flying ifr very often. It seems he took the instructor with him that day to assist him with the wx conditions.

Why would go down over water and try a 'visual approach'. It seems like a very desperate move especially with the winds, like TB said. Maybe the crash has more to do with ice, a mechanical or avionics/instruments failure.

[timel]

Double post.. Edit

[cncpc]

Why would go down over water and try a 'visual approach'. It seems like a very desperate move especially with the winds, like TB said. Maybe the crash has more to do with ice, a mechanical or avionics/instruments failure.

I agree. There seems to have been some inability to maintain altitude, or awareness of altitude. It doesn't take a lot of altitude around there to be safe.

Swiss cheese. Starting with the decision to even attempt it.

[pdw]

There seems to have been some inability to maintain altitude, or awareness of altitude.

It is clear IMO that the diagnosis offered by the TSB in their prelim ... "slightly nose up at impact", shows maybe no choice in the matter of "nose down" (as per comment by an eywitness of this tragedy).

"Nose down" , if that is around 15-20sec before impact ? .. is clearly pilot-control to gain airspeed, as for any inadvertant bleed that threatens an aircraft's IAS decaying to the edge of stall whether in practice for a license or otherwise. If so here, there wouldn't be much time at all between the realization of being too slow to the point of almost stall and then reaching for that airspeed recovery. ie Shedding extra drag that's building there just at the edge, via a gradualized descent-angle with power-on, prior to running out of precious altitude; that opens the largest-possible window of time with-in that sudden challenge ... to beat stallspeed towards that nearing point where a "slightly nose up" must happen.

The levelling/ "slightly nose up" control input at impact is one valuable finding for the TSB investigators to have if it shows that attempt is made .... to place an AOA for recovery in a 'last chance' for round out.

[cncpc]

There seems to have been some inability to maintain altitude, or awareness of altitude.

It is clear IMO that the diagnosis offered by the TSB in their prelim ... "slightly nose up at impact", shows maybe no choice in the matter of "nose down" (as per comment by an eywitness of this tragedy).

"Nose down" , if that is around 15-20sec before impact ? .. is clearly pilot-control to gain airspeed, as for any inadvertant bleed that threatens an aircraft's IAS decaying to the edge of stall whether in practice for a license or otherwise. If so here, there wouldn't be much time at all between the realization of being too slow to the point of almost stall and then reaching for that airspeed recovery. ie Shedding extra drag that's building there just at the edge, via a gradualized descent-angle with power-on, prior to running out of precious altitude; that opens the largest-possible window of time with-in that sudden challenge ... to beat stallspeed towards that nearing point where a "slightly nose up" must happen.

The levelling/ "slightly nose up" control input at impact is one valuable finding for the TSB investigators to have if it shows that attempt is made .... to place an AOA for recovery in a 'last chance' for round out.

I doubt it will come to that.

[Vickers vanguard]

From what I was told the pilot had his ifr since 3 years, but he didn't any commercial experience and he wasn't flying ifr very often. It seems he took the instructor with him that day to assist him with the wx conditions.

Why would go down over water and try a 'visual approach'. It seems like a very desperate move especially with the winds, like TB said. Maybe the crash has more to do with ice, a mechanical or avionics/instruments failure.

Didn't want to get involved so far but just wanted to correct some of the above. I worked for the guy as a side job on a regular basis in 2009 and 2010. I did the whole avionic upgrade on his personal P210 and flew his airplane a couple of times with him for the testing afterwards. He had his IFR ticket for longer than 3 years for sure, and was flying in the system on a regular basis. I don't think he was flying for hire at that time, but I also know he did some charter flights, as either a safety pilot of even PIC for a local operator ( CYHU) on occasions. He often flew single engine piston like the 210 ( which he was fond of ) and Sr20-22 in crappy weather for testing purpose and part of his company's projects ( avionic mods ). Pascal was very knowledgeable and had ton of experience operating Garmin GPS navigators. In flight, he was very sharp and showed a lot of confidence flying IFR. He was passionate about aviation and quite a brilliant guy I have to admit. During my time with his company, I saw him introducing that little mini-recorder, which turned out to be a bloody great idea. That thing worked like a charm. Once set-up, it'll automatically upload the data to the server as soon as it is within range of a wireless. Once the data there, Pascal had it play over a google map with the pilot/pax audio and engine RPM ( extracted using algorithm customized to each airplane using ambient noise). Altitude was included and you get a video animation of the flight. Fight schools could play any previous flights and customers like Air Richelieu, busted more than few clowns who misused their airplanes. anyway, i could go on and tell you about all kind of crazy projects he was involved in but it would take pages and pages. RIP

[SheriffPatGarrett]

Finally, it is obvious he was trying to sneak in below clouds but was totally lost, showing a severe lack of situation awareness...
With all the nav-aids available...He had NO business to be where he was.
All he had to do is power up, climb away and sort things up, get aligned and land...but noooo...This is a very over powered plane
and that stuff is NOT supposed to happen with it.(Look like BOTH engines/props were fully functional)

[cncpc]

Finally, it is obvious he was trying to sneak in below clouds but was totally lost, showing a severe lack of situation awareness...
With all the nav-aids available...He had NO business to be where he was.
All he had to do is power up, climb away and sort things up, get aligned and land...but noooo...This is a very over powered plane
and that stuff is NOT supposed to happen with it.(Look like BOTH engines/props were fully functional)

All good observations.

You have to ask why he wouldn't shoot the approach normally first, just to see what was there, and maybe if he could get a break.

Even if he has windshield ice, he has to see that he's just above the rooftops and that he needs to climb now. Go to Charlottetown and wait for something workable. He filed Charlottetown as an alternate, no big deal to go there, why this outcome?

[The Raven]

Finally, it is obvious he was trying to sneak in below clouds but was totally lost, showing a severe lack of situation awareness...
With all the nav-aids available...He had NO business to be where he was.
All he had to do is power up, climb away and sort things up, get aligned and land...but noooo...This is a very over powered plane
and that stuff is NOT supposed to happen with it.(Look like BOTH engines/props were fully functional)

Why is it obvious? Has there been some sort of report or statement from the TSB to this effect? If so, can you give me a link to it?

I'm not doubting you. I have an interest in this accident for other reasons and am trying to gather as much information as possible.

[cncpc]

Finally, it is obvious he was trying to sneak in below clouds but was totally lost, showing a severe lack of situation awareness...
With all the nav-aids available...He had NO business to be where he was.
All he had to do is power up, climb away and sort things up, get aligned and land...but noooo...This is a very over powered plane
and that stuff is NOT supposed to happen with it.(Look like BOTH engines/props were fully functional)

Why is it obvious? Has there been some sort of report or statement from the TSB to this effect? If so, can you give me a link to it?

I'm not doubting you. I have an interest in this accident for other reasons and am trying to gather as much information as possible.

He was seen below the clouds and to the right of the localizer about four miles back crossing that shoreline that 199 parallels. He was very low there. He was heading for the airport. Not an instrument approach procedure.

[anofly]

IF he was that low, that far back, something was not right, or he "may" (conjecture) have been trying to break out below cloud, over water on purpose, and slip in . With a 200 foot ceiling at the airport, there is not much room between hilltops and cloud, it would not have been a pleasant trip in and things would be happening fast. add a bit of ice to a windshield, straining to look forward for the airport, off the needles now, so you wander off the loc,, it piles up on you a bit....rip.

[goldeneagle]

There's been a lot of speculation here about low .. running, typical low and slow stuff. But the recorder says, high and hot.

http://www.tsb.gc.ca/eng/medias-media/c ... 160713.asp

The approach graphs in that report really make one re-think the eyewitness reports of low airplanes. At 3 miles back it was still 500 feet high and 50 knots fast.

[RatherBeFlying]

The approach graph raises a bunch of questions:

It's hard to think of a stall, even with icing, at that speed. If there had been a serious load of ice, you'd think there'd be fragments at the impact site or debris trail.

TSB says no mechanical failures so far discovered.

Would a gust drop a wing at that airspeed?

Or would there be a trim problem that manifested itself on autopilot disconnect?

TSB has their work cut out for them.

[Old fella]

Having good quality experience in this type of operation(although not on a/c type) and review of the descent profile this says to me the pilot was well behind the aircraft or the aircraft was well ahead of him either way you want to view it. Throw in his TT and time on type, combine it with single pilot operation in very questionable WX, non precision approach, I can see the situation getting out of hand to the demise of all. I suspect the TSB has a real good idea but need to dot some I's and cross a few T's.

[cncpc]

Something isn't jiving here.

He was sighted by people on the ground at the shoreline, over Domaine du Vieux Couvent, 2 miles back.

[J31]

The final report is out.

Fast unstable approach followed by stall/loss of control at low altitude.

http://www.bst-tsb.gc.ca/eng/rapports-r ... 6a0032.asp

Full video of the crash site, animation and news conference.

http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/111757266

[Ypilot]

He was way too high, way too fast, he wasn't stabilized on the approach path, eventually he slowed down the power to idle, got too slow, kicked back up the throttle and lost control. The pilot was not in control. Wx probably didn't help.

The pilot had very little experience on the airplane and didn't fly much ifr in the past month. The MU shouldn't be allowed single pilot. If a second qualified pilot would have been there, I am sure a go around would have been initated.

[J31]

Animation

http://www.bst-tsb.gc.ca/eng/medias-med ... mation.asp

[fish4life]

Ugly, flying only 20 hours in 90 days certainly wouldn’t help either.