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Annother Seneca College Mayday call?

Posted: Tue Mar 31, 2009 11:48 am
by DiamondShreddies
Anyone know anything about the turnout? Heard the call when I was up this morning. Beech Bonanza near Owen Sound, with an engine failure. Hope everyone is alright.

Re: Annother Seneca College Mayday call?

Posted: Tue Mar 31, 2009 4:10 pm
by Dagwood
From the CADORS:
The Seneca College of Applied Arts and Technology Beech F-33A aircraft (C-GSCV) was on a local VFR flight from Toronto (Buttonville) Municipal Airport (CYKZ). The aircraft was in the Owen Sound area when the pilot declared a MAYDAY at 1610Z on frequency 126.7MHz (which was heard by London F.I.C. staff). The pilot reported that the aircraft was five to ten (5-10) miles south (but did not say where). There was no response from the pilot after several attempts from London F.I.C. staff. The Toronto ACC Shift Manager was contacted and advised of an aircraft with an engine failure in vicinity of Owen Sound. London F.I.C. staff tried calling the cellular telephone number provided on the flight plan and received an answering machine. It was later learned that the aircraft had landed without incident on the runway at Owen Sound (Billy Bishop) Regional Airport (CYOS). Two (2) S.O.B.; no reported injuries. Seneca College called London F.I.C. to find out information and, at the same time, the pilot contacted Seneca College. NAV CANADA staff at Hamilton (JCMIA) (CYHM) also heard and reported the aircraft pilot's declared emergency. Ops. impact -- unknown.

Re: Annother Seneca College Mayday call?

Posted: Wed Apr 01, 2009 2:12 am
by metal
Glad to hear everything ended safely

Re: Annother Seneca College Mayday call?

Posted: Wed Apr 01, 2009 9:09 am
by nightbird
Isn't this the second time that it happend, I think they had another engine failure not too long ago over new york state. I would really start to think about the maintenance of those airplanes, just my opinion maybe it's just bad luck.

Re: Annother Seneca College Mayday call?

Posted: Wed Apr 01, 2009 9:48 am
by mcconnell14
Owen Sound...my hometown! glad everything IS ok.!

Re: Annother Seneca College Mayday call?

Posted: Wed Apr 01, 2009 10:31 am
by Hedley
think about the maintenance of those airplanes
Perhaps, but do keep in mind that Organization X which flies
ten times as much as Organization Y will have ten times as
many problems, if they have the same quality of maintenance
and rate of problems.

Seneca's airplanes are maintained WAY above the normal FTU
standard, from what I've seen over the years.

Re: Annother Seneca College Mayday call?

Posted: Wed Apr 01, 2009 11:02 am
by Doc
And, I'm sure they really need Bonanzas. Wouldn't want to stoop to the level of other FTU's after all. Tax dollars put to good use. As per normal.

Re: Annother Seneca College Mayday call?

Posted: Wed Apr 01, 2009 11:49 am
by Lurch
Glad it worked out, but it sounds like somebody needs to re-learn how to make a proper Mayday call

Lurch

Re: Annother Seneca College Mayday call?

Posted: Wed Apr 01, 2009 12:03 pm
by trey kule
Let me see.....a relatively inexperienced pilot who had an engine failure, and got it on the ground in one piece.


...cut them some slack Lurch....

Re: Annother Seneca College Mayday call?

Posted: Wed Apr 01, 2009 1:06 pm
by B-rad
Lurch wrote:Glad it worked out, but it sounds like somebody needs to re-learn how to make a proper Mayday call
Lurch
Why not give some advice with your criticism. Tell us so we know better going forward how you feel a Mayday call would be best. When you find a problem, why not try to find an answer too?

Re: Annother Seneca College Mayday call?

Posted: Wed Apr 01, 2009 3:30 pm
by Magnetron
Plane path people
aviate navigate communicate


i'm sure Mayday calls are important
i'm pretty sure students like them would instinctively panic in a situation, these guys probably were scared but they got the plane down safely no damage, no injury...i would exchange that for a perfect mayday call anyday

Re: Annother Seneca College Mayday call?

Posted: Wed Apr 01, 2009 5:00 pm
by nightbird
Magnetron wrote: these guys probably were scared but they got the plane down safely no damage, no injury...i would exchange that for a perfect mayday call anyday
I agree with that, it's so easy sometimes to seat back on your chair and point at what was right or wrong but wait until your're in a situation like that (i hope not) and see what you do with only a few minutes to figure out how you are going to put it on the ground safely, remember there's a big difference when you practice an engine failure but you know that you have power to get out of there if you screw the approach and when you're in the real thing, stress and panic can play you a few tricks.

Re: Annother Seneca College Mayday call?

Posted: Wed Apr 01, 2009 6:02 pm
by the_one
About the mayday calls....after the first unsuccessful one, two more mayday calls were in fact carried out on two different frequencies. Terminal, Hamilton and London were informed about all the details right after the failure. I think that the two students did an outstanding job with saving their lives and the airplane!

Re: Annother Seneca College Mayday call?

Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 8:09 am
by just curious
Pilots in the 100-200 hour range are in pretty much full-time learning mode. Drills may be implanted in their brain, but the finer points, Mayday calls, Reject, evacuation details, are still a little fuzzy.

The area south of the Owen Sound airport is still mainly woodlot. Markdale would have been close, but not many people going VFR to a destination review the fine details of nearby alternate airdromes, and Markdale is not as distinct as many other airports, from what I recall (32 years later :oops: )

They followed the drill, made the call, landed the aircraft, and reported it to the persons responsible for tracking them. At the end of the day, I'd score it as a success.

Be a confidence-building thing for their Commercial ride... "Well kid, tell me what you'd do if you were flying along and the engine quit?"

"Well, last time, what I did was...."

Re: Annother Seneca College Mayday call?

Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 10:45 am
by Lurch
Waaa hahahaha

Wow that was too easy :smt064

5 fish and a mod

Sorry guys I was in the need for a good laugh :lol:

Carry on

Lurch

Re: Annother Seneca College Mayday call?

Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 11:44 am
by just curious
It's just gone up to two beers now!

Re: Annother Seneca College Mayday call?

Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 12:04 pm
by Lurch
just curious wrote:It's just gone up to two beers now!
Haha you're on, just let me now when/where

Re: Annother Seneca College Mayday call?

Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 5:45 pm
by L1011
Pilot glides to safety at city airport
Posted By The Sun Times
Posted 21 hours ago


A 21-year-old student pilot safely glided his single-engine Beechcraft Bonanza onto the runway at the Billy Bishop Regional Airport Monday after experiencing a complete engine failure while en route to Midland.

The incident occurred at 9,500 feet shortly after the pilot and his 21-year-old passenger departed Wiarton just after the noon hour.

The passenger made a mayday call, which was received by air traffic control in Toronto. The pilot then glided for several kilometres before safely landing at the airport east of Owen Sound.

There was no damage to the airplane, which belongs to the Seneca College flight program in Buttonville, near Markham.

The Rescue Coordination Centre in Trenton was notified, which then asked Grey County OPP officers to observe the powerless airplane as it made its way to the runway.
No damage except for the engine of course. :D

http://www.owensoundsuntimes.com/Articl ... ?e=1506167

Re: Annother Seneca College Mayday call?

Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 6:03 pm
by costermonger
just curious wrote:Be a confidence-building thing for their Commercial ride... "Well kid, tell me what you'd do if you were flying along and the engine quit?"

"Well, last time, what I did was...."
Heh, no kidding.

Good job getting it down safely, guys.

Re: Annother Seneca College Mayday call?

Posted: Fri Apr 03, 2009 5:23 am
by Tim
Hedley wrote:
think about the maintenance of those airplanes
Perhaps, but do keep in mind that Organization X which flies
ten times as much as Organization Y will have ten times as
many problems, if they have the same quality of maintenance
and rate of problems.

Seneca's airplanes are maintained WAY above the normal FTU
standard, from what I've seen over the years.

i said something similar about mfc a year ago and got FLAMED

student pilot, engine failure, CYOS.

Posted: Fri Apr 03, 2009 9:34 am
by canuckcam
FROM/DE: Grey County O.P.P.
DATE: 01-Apr-09

Plane Forced to Land
At Billy Bishop Airport
LP09073448

(Chatsworth, ON.) - A student pilot who experienced complete engine
failure was forced to land his plane at the Billy Bishop Regional
Airport just east of Owen Sound yesterday (31-Mar-09). It was a tough
way to learn but he sure did a good job.

The incident occurred at 12:30 pm. The airplane, a single engine
Beechcraft Bonanza, was part of the fleet utilized by the Seneca College
flight program based at the Buttonville Airport in Markham, ON. (north
of Toronto). It was being piloted by a 21 year-old male student
accompanied by a 21 year-old male passenger. They had left Wiarton
Airport on route to Midland, ON. While flying over Owen Sound they
experience total engine failure at 9,500 ft. The passenger issued a
mayday call which was received by air traffic controllers in Toronto as
they looked for a place to land. The pilot decided to glide the plane
toward the Billy Bishop Regional Airport, situated on Highway 26 just
east of Owen Sound, in the Municipality of Meaford. After gliding for
several kilometres and descending the powerless plane was landed at the
airport without incident. There were no injuries or damage to the
aircraft. Grey County O.P.P. officers were able to report the miraculous
outcome back to the Rescue Coordination Centre in Trenton, who had asked
for police to observe for the aircraft.
-30-

Contact: Constable Steven Starr
Community Services/Media Relations
519-794-7827
email: OPP.GC.MediaRelations@ontario.ca

Please visit the OPP 100th Anniversary website at www.opp100.ca for
information about upcoming events, updates, images, video and other
information relating to the OPP 100th Anniversary.

Re: student pilot, engine failure, CYOS.

Posted: Fri Apr 03, 2009 9:37 am
by Hedley
Let me beat lilfssister and widow to the punch:

Thanks, Hedley. I do have to work some days :) / Lil

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=52301

One tiny piece of advice from a grumpy old guy:

When that b1tch lets you down, the LAST thing on your
mind is "save the airplane". It just let YOU down, didn't
it?

In an emergency, THE MOST IMPORTANT THING is the
lives of the people on board the airplane, and the lives of
the people on the ground. Don't EVER forget that.

Don't get fancy, trying to "save the airplane". Frankly,
99.9% of the pilots just aren't up to it, and if they try
it, generally the cure will be worse than the disease.

The Americans (I know, everyone here loves to smugly
hate them) have a wonderful saying:

SKIN
TIN
TICKET

SKIN: keep everybody alive

TIN: IF and ONLY IF "SKIN" (above is guaranteed),
then start worrying about "saving the airplane" (cringe).

TICKET: The LAST thing you should be worried about,
during an emergency, is regulations. You would not believe
how many people have made bad decisions - sacrificing SKIN
and TIN - during emergencies because they were worried
about maybe getting a registered letter after the event. ARGH.
I have gotten every registered letter there is from Enforcement,
Transport makes sure I visit the Tribunal at least twice a year,
and I sleep like a baby.

Remember: SKIN / TIN / TICKET

Re: student pilot, engine failure, CYOS.

Posted: Fri Apr 03, 2009 10:56 am
by YoungPunk
Congrats to the pilot! :prayer:

Good point Headly, I'll keep the skin, tin, ticket idea around should I ever need it. Sounds like the pilot saw the strip and figuered he could make it, no better place to save your skin than landing the tin on a strip.

Re: student pilot, engine failure, CYOS.

Posted: Fri Apr 03, 2009 11:09 am
by Busted
The best part of that airport, is the highway that runs right by it.

If he couldn't have made the strip, the highway is nice and straight. It does have some hills though.

Re: student pilot, engine failure, CYOS.

Posted: Fri Apr 03, 2009 1:01 pm
by cyxe
It was being piloted by a 21 year-old male student
accompanied by a 21 year-old male passenger.
Commercial student I would hope? Just a strange story title - why not call him a private pilot.
(I know I know, we're always learning..)