No F***ING way, this had better not Happen!!!
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No F***ING way, this had better not Happen!!!
Sonicblue's parent wants licence back
Preliminary reports on crash indicate firm not responsible, company claims
Font: * * * * Glenn Bohn, Vancouver Sun
Published: Tuesday, February 28, 2006
The small B.C. airline grounded by Transport Canada after a deadly plane crash last month wants to resume commercial flights so it can avoid bankruptcy.
The federal government suspended the air-operator certificate of International Express Air Charter, a company that also does business as Sonicblue Airways, after a Jan. 21 Sonicblue plane crashed near Port Alberni, killing the pilot and two passengers.
According to a legal document filed by the company with the office of the superintendent of Bankruptcy Canada, the company wants time to file a proposal to satisfy the claims of 81 creditors.
The airline reports total claims of more than $3 million, including almost $654,000 owing to unsecured creditors.
"In a nutshell, the main thing the company is counting on right now is to get its operator's licence back from Transport Canada, so it can restart its air operations," said Robert Finlay, the lawyer acting for the company, in an interview Monday.
"If it can get its licence back from Transport Canada, the company feels almost 100 per cent that it can make a workable proposal."
Finlay argued that the Transportation Safety Board's preliminary findings showed International Express Air Charter wasn't responsible for the engine failure that occurred on the single-engine Cessna 208 Caravan, which was flying to Vancouver from Tofino.
"What they've said is that the part that failed was deep inside the engine and that would not have been part of International Air Express's maintenance obligations," he said. "What it means is that the crash, according to the preliminary findings, was not the fault of the company. If that's the case, what has occurred here is that the company has been put through all this difficulty, through no fault of its own."
The company's goal now, the lawyer said, is to "hang on long enough to clear its name" and get back the legal authority to start flying again.
Finlay said International Express Air Charter has applied to Transport Canada to lift the suspension of its air operator licence and is now "in discussions" with Transport Canada.
Since 1999, Transport Canada has handed the company a total of six fines or suspensions.
In 2004, it imposed a fine of almost $80,000 -- later reduced to $40,000 -- after a government investigation revealed the company had conducted aerial wildlife surveys with flight training pilots, without proper approvals.
In announcing Jan. 23 that it had suspended the licence, Transport Canada said it had "taken this action in the interest of public safety and will be conducting a full audit of International Express Aircharter Ltd.'s operation."
However, when Transport Canada officials arrived at the company's office at Boundary Bay Jan. 30 to conduct the audit, the office was closed. At that point, the audit was suspended.
Transport Canada spokesman Rod Nelson noted Monday that a full audit of the company's operations -- a process that normally takes five or six weeks -- hasn't yet occurred. He said the company has not contacted Transport Canada to ask it to proceed with the audit.
Finlay confirmed Monday the airline's office is still closed.
Nelson said the government would never reinstate an air operator certificate to help a company avoid bankruptcy.
"Our only concern would be safety," he said.
gbohn@png.canwest.com
© The Vancouver Sun 2006
Preliminary reports on crash indicate firm not responsible, company claims
Font: * * * * Glenn Bohn, Vancouver Sun
Published: Tuesday, February 28, 2006
The small B.C. airline grounded by Transport Canada after a deadly plane crash last month wants to resume commercial flights so it can avoid bankruptcy.
The federal government suspended the air-operator certificate of International Express Air Charter, a company that also does business as Sonicblue Airways, after a Jan. 21 Sonicblue plane crashed near Port Alberni, killing the pilot and two passengers.
According to a legal document filed by the company with the office of the superintendent of Bankruptcy Canada, the company wants time to file a proposal to satisfy the claims of 81 creditors.
The airline reports total claims of more than $3 million, including almost $654,000 owing to unsecured creditors.
"In a nutshell, the main thing the company is counting on right now is to get its operator's licence back from Transport Canada, so it can restart its air operations," said Robert Finlay, the lawyer acting for the company, in an interview Monday.
"If it can get its licence back from Transport Canada, the company feels almost 100 per cent that it can make a workable proposal."
Finlay argued that the Transportation Safety Board's preliminary findings showed International Express Air Charter wasn't responsible for the engine failure that occurred on the single-engine Cessna 208 Caravan, which was flying to Vancouver from Tofino.
"What they've said is that the part that failed was deep inside the engine and that would not have been part of International Air Express's maintenance obligations," he said. "What it means is that the crash, according to the preliminary findings, was not the fault of the company. If that's the case, what has occurred here is that the company has been put through all this difficulty, through no fault of its own."
The company's goal now, the lawyer said, is to "hang on long enough to clear its name" and get back the legal authority to start flying again.
Finlay said International Express Air Charter has applied to Transport Canada to lift the suspension of its air operator licence and is now "in discussions" with Transport Canada.
Since 1999, Transport Canada has handed the company a total of six fines or suspensions.
In 2004, it imposed a fine of almost $80,000 -- later reduced to $40,000 -- after a government investigation revealed the company had conducted aerial wildlife surveys with flight training pilots, without proper approvals.
In announcing Jan. 23 that it had suspended the licence, Transport Canada said it had "taken this action in the interest of public safety and will be conducting a full audit of International Express Aircharter Ltd.'s operation."
However, when Transport Canada officials arrived at the company's office at Boundary Bay Jan. 30 to conduct the audit, the office was closed. At that point, the audit was suspended.
Transport Canada spokesman Rod Nelson noted Monday that a full audit of the company's operations -- a process that normally takes five or six weeks -- hasn't yet occurred. He said the company has not contacted Transport Canada to ask it to proceed with the audit.
Finlay confirmed Monday the airline's office is still closed.
Nelson said the government would never reinstate an air operator certificate to help a company avoid bankruptcy.
"Our only concern would be safety," he said.
gbohn@png.canwest.com
© The Vancouver Sun 2006
WTF, over
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Re: No F***ING way, this had better not Happen!!!
How much is the new price of a PPC gonna cost?broompusher wrote: The airline reports total claims of more than $3 million, including almost $654,000 owing to unsecured creditors.
Sounds like TC is just as useless as the court system here in Ontario. How can you release a guy who shot a 3 year old girl in the head after serving 5 years of a life sentence? Appeal the sentence sure but to walk out on bail...$cuk me!
Putting money into aviation is like wiping before you poop....it just don't make sense!
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I highly dout they will get the O.C. back, when T.C. pulls one they do so intending not to give it back, if they do get it back they will be on a very short leash for a long time. I've seen this crap first hand from a company that wasn't half as shady as S.B. they tried to make T.C. look like the bad guys in the press, but it only pissed T.C. off even more not helping the situation with the pulled O.C. From the press release it sounds like they are still in denial that they were a shitty company wich probably won't help the situation with the paper work, wich was the reason the O.C. was pulled in the first place, the accident was only the last log in the pile of shit that was S.B. I've seen other operators have accidents and not loose their O.C. as far as T.C. seams to be conserned right or wrong it's all about paper work.
So just remember to dot your T's and cross your I's we'll be dealing with paper work for the rest of our lives.
So just remember to dot your T's and cross your I's we'll be dealing with paper work for the rest of our lives.

This "all about the paperwork" comment is out to lunch. What exactly do you suggest TC do during audits? Take the airplane apart completely and test each one to see if it meets specifications? The statement seems to imply that operators with sloppy paperwork can be as safe as a operator with impeccable paperwork. That just isn't true. If the paperwork isn't done, the job isn't done.I've seen other operators have accidents and not loose their O.C. as far as T.C. seams to be conserned right or wrong it's all about paper work.
As soon as the paperwork gets derailed, its a long hard battle to get back on track, and the airplane is in danger of missing inspections or flying with unservicable parts or parts with inaccurate history.
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" as far as T.C. seams to be conserned right or wrong it's all about paper work. "
The nature of the beast that is TCCA " IS "paper work.
Just because an operator has perfect paper work that does not guarantee perfect physical mainteneace.
The paper work could be award winning and the airplane could be a piece of junk and still be flying....after the audit.
" as far as T.C. seams to be conserned right or wrong it's all about paper work. "
The nature of the beast that is TCCA " IS "paper work.
Just because an operator has perfect paper work that does not guarantee perfect physical mainteneace.
The paper work could be award winning and the airplane could be a piece of junk and still be flying....after the audit.
The hardest thing about flying is knowing when to say no
After over a half a century of flying no one ever died because of my decision not to fly.
After over a half a century of flying no one ever died because of my decision not to fly.
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Re: No F***ING way, this had better not Happen!!!
cyyz wrote:How much is the new price of a PPC gonna cost?







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Okay dont get me wrong here bet lets look at a possible fact as much as I hate to say it. It appears that the fact maybe Sonics maintenance had nothing to do with this paticular accident. So if we are going to blame Sonic for this then all the pilots that flew these aircraft should be to Blame. Last time I was outside this was still a free country. Nobody held a gun to anyones head to fly the aircraft or put up with the stuff everyone on this forum says has happened there. I also beleive that Transport just walking in and pulling an OC out from under this company should put them in the same boat as the owners and pilots. If you want to pull an OC so bad there should have been a complete audit team in there the next day. To just walk in and pull an OC without this in my opinion means transport new exactly what was going on just like everyone at Sonic did and had no problem with it until some thing went wrong. Then everyone stands up and screams there head off.
CID I hate to go against you as I have only witnessed audits from walking across the hanger to the airplane I was flying, but any time I have seen an audit happening it appears the only thing they are looking at is paper. Yes they do the odd aircraft inspection for saftey equipment and a few other things. Yes while they are in a building for a week or 2 they see or here things. But truly they are looking at paper. I have never seen anyone go out to an aircraft and say show me were you completed this AD or SB. If the paper says it was done then it was done. One of the companies I worked for a few years ago bought a Canadian registerd comercial aircraft. In fact this aircraft had just come from a company that had an audit 2 months prior. When our inspector showed up to aprove this aircaft on the OC it did not happen. It took the company a month to get the Ad and SB as well as small things like exit signs put in before we could fly this aircraft. But the paper work from the company they bought it from was great.
Lets face it this company should have probably never been allowed to operate. But they had alot of help doing it by people that are all mouthing about how bad it was. So does this make the owners of Sonic any worst then those that worked there and Transport it appears they just let it all go until some one got hurt.
CID I hate to go against you as I have only witnessed audits from walking across the hanger to the airplane I was flying, but any time I have seen an audit happening it appears the only thing they are looking at is paper. Yes they do the odd aircraft inspection for saftey equipment and a few other things. Yes while they are in a building for a week or 2 they see or here things. But truly they are looking at paper. I have never seen anyone go out to an aircraft and say show me were you completed this AD or SB. If the paper says it was done then it was done. One of the companies I worked for a few years ago bought a Canadian registerd comercial aircraft. In fact this aircraft had just come from a company that had an audit 2 months prior. When our inspector showed up to aprove this aircaft on the OC it did not happen. It took the company a month to get the Ad and SB as well as small things like exit signs put in before we could fly this aircraft. But the paper work from the company they bought it from was great.
Lets face it this company should have probably never been allowed to operate. But they had alot of help doing it by people that are all mouthing about how bad it was. So does this make the owners of Sonic any worst then those that worked there and Transport it appears they just let it all go until some one got hurt.
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Then how does a certain operator (without naming names) North of 60 get away with it after several accidents (1 wear all on board lost their lives) the O.C. has never bean pulled ( that I know of ). Their planes are junk and it doesn't take an AME to see that! but they are good at paper work.It's tough to make paperwork "look" good without the work to back it up. It can be done in the short term, but it's impossible to keep it up for long.
I have to agree with CID on this one. A deep foresnic look at the paper work will reveal any monkey business in short order.
There is no way I would buy an aircraft and take for granted that is is in good nick just because it is a Canadian commercial registered aircraft.
Do your due dilligence guys, like they say on the X files "trust no-one".
PITA
There is no way I would buy an aircraft and take for granted that is is in good nick just because it is a Canadian commercial registered aircraft.
Do your due dilligence guys, like they say on the X files "trust no-one".
PITA