YKZ based Diamond DA-40 C-GPDO fatal crash in Maine . . .

[bizjets101]

Buttonville based DA-40 ELT went off yesterday on a flight from Halifax to Quebec City - a Canadian C130 and Comorant began a search - finding the aircraft in Northern Maine in a wooded area accessible by snow mobiles.

One person was fatal, a 2nd was transported to a Quebec hospital.

Pilot had contacted ATC stating he was experiencing severe icing and was looking for a place to land. Aircraft had left Buttonville on March 2nd, it is registered to Aviation Investments at 10 Price Street Toronto - a business address.


photo Gustavo Corujo (resident YKZ photographer!!)

[bizjets101]

Click Here info on C-FRSK Mooney based YKZ that suffered a similar fate in 2008.

C-GPDO additional links; No statement on identities of the two persons on board.

http://new.bangordailynews.com/2011/03/ ... ec-border/

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scot ... ml?ref=rss

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/CGPDO

Disclaimer; Yes I know it will get moved to accident section, however posted in General - so many of the fellow YKZ and fellow pilots will be aware of the loss of C-GPDO.

[bizjets101]

There is no update at this time regarding the survivor.

CLICK HERE Facebook - in memory of Mr. Paul Oberman.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++


We are very sad to report that Paul Oberman, President of Woodcliffe Landmark Properties, has died in a plane crash last night in Maine.

Paul's support of the heritage community was immeasurable, his work in preserving our heritage buildings invaluable. He was responsible for restoring Summerhill Station (North Toronto Station) as a LCBO store, a project that garnered raves and attention worldwide. Woodcliffe also restored our iconic Gooderham Flatiron Building, the Shops at Schrivener Square and was in the process of redeveloping and restoring Market Street near St. Lawrence Market. Paul also went to extraordinary efforts to try to preserve the Downsview Hangars before they were demolished last year.

Paul and Woodcliffe have also supported the Heritage Toronto Awards for many years, allowing us the opportunity to celebrate achievements in conserving Toronto's history and heritage.

He understood the value of preserving our heritage and a beautiful, liveable city, and was a much needed voice in the heritage community, and a true friend to our organization and many others.

Paul will be sorely missed. Our condolences go out to Woodcliffe, his family and friends.

http://www.thestar.com/news/article/950 ... lane-crash

http://pauloberman.ca/?page_id=2

[bizjets101]

********************************************************************************
** Report created 3/8/2011 Record 1 **
********************************************************************************

IDENTIFICATION
Regis#: CGPDO Make/Model: DA40 Description: DA-40 Katana
Date: 03/07/2011 Time: 1845

Event Type: Accident Highest Injury: Fatal Mid Air: N Missing: N
Damage: Unknown

LOCATION
City: RED PINE GROVE State: ME Country: US

DESCRIPTION
AIRCRAFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES, THERE WERE 2 PERSONS ON
BOARD, 1 WAS FATALLY INJURED, 1 SUSTAINED UNKNOWN INJURIES, WAS THE SUBJECT
OF AN ALERT NOTICE, WRECKAGE LOCATED I MILE FROM RED PINE GROVE AIRPORT
NEAR CANADIAN BORDER, ME

INJURY DATA Total Fatal: 1
# Crew: 2 Fat: 1 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk: 1
# Pass: 0 Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
# Grnd: Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:

WEATHER: NOT REPORTED

OTHER DATA
Activity: Unknown Phase: Unknown Operation: OTHER


FAA FSDO: PORTLAND, ME (EA65) Entry date: 03/08/2011

Red Pine Grove Airport listed as private and emergency only - aircraft came down one mile from this strip.

[Spinner]

sorry to hear this news. The weather in central and northern NB was not fit for man or beast with
snow and freezing rain all over the place.

[Inverted2]

Was nasty there yesterday. Not a place for a light single with NO deice!

[ctmorawetz]

As someone who has worked in the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario (ACO) as Paul did, this hits close to home. For those of you that don't know, Paul put up a great fight to save some of the hangars at Downsview from demolition last year. Although it was unsucessful in the end, I think it proves not only his passion for heritage but aviation as well.

RIP.

[bizjets101]

Thanks for pointing that out, I certainly remember that.

Here is the article; Click Here.

Update; The other occupant of the aircraft was taken to hospital with “relatively minor injuries, for what he’d been through,” according to Steve McCausland of the Maine State Safety Department.

[Siddley Hawker]

There was a frontal system lying along the St. Lawrence River valley that dumped up to 50 cm of snow in places along the aircraft's flight path. Kinda makes on scratch one's head why they left Halifax.

[bizjets101]

I have a friend in New Jersey who also owns a Diamond, and we were discussing the exact same thing. The weather was far worse than you'd ever want to take a Diamond in - ever - the only answer I can think of is GetThrereItis!!!

Similar to the CJ525 that crashed 3 years ago also in Maine - accident was February 1st 2008 and they still haven't released a final report. I believe it is the longest current investigation underway by NTSB without a final report!!

Preliminary N102PT

[bizjets101]

Interesting article from United States Air Force News website.

C-GPDO was already being tracked - all the way from Florida - it was noted that it descended below radar, when the ELT went off they were already aware of which aircraft it was.

From that moment they directed CAF C130's (2) and a Cormorant to the crash site, where the Cormorant located the downed aircraft and rescued the passenger.

Air Force News click here. Guess it's one of the very few good things about a secure boarder?

[bizjets101]

C-GPDO crash site.

The Canadian Press

DAAQUAM, MAINE—Police say the Canadian pilot of a small plane that crashed in Maine on Monday landed the ice-covered aircraft on a frozen bog before it broke apart.

Ryan Isaac of Toronto broke his arm in the crash and was airlifted to a Quebec hospital.

His passenger, 53-year-old Toronto real estate developer Paul Oberman, died in the accident.

Oberman had just flown his son Evan to Dalhousie University in Halifax and was on his way home, Evan Oberman said.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) was slated to begin investigating the incident Wednesday, but a spokesperson for the agency said the remoteness of the crash site could hinder the process.

Isaac, 31, told Maine State Police the two men were flying from Halifax to Quebec when the plane started icing up.

The plane broke apart after Isaac landed it on a frozen bog created by beavers in a remote corner of Maine.

Oberman’s body was taken to a funeral home in Presque Isle, Maine.

An NTSB investigator was expected to travel to Maine on Wednesday, but a spokesman for the agency said it was unclear whether they would be able to reach the crash site.

“He will have to make that assessment once he’s on the ground,” public affairs officer Keith Holloway said from the agency’s headquarters in Washington, D.C.

“Typically, when we’ve had accidents that were in remote locations or hard to get to by foot, the aircraft was moved from that location to a facility to be examined. I can’t say for sure that’s what’s going to happen here.”

Aside from looking at the wreckage, the investigator will interview witnesses, examine communications with air traffic control and review all data related to weather, navigation and aircraft maintenance.

Holloway said the agency could produce a preliminary report as early as next week.

“But this is all contingent on the accessibility of the wreckage,” he added.

[pez]

That's a chilling photo, having flown over Northern Maine in a DA40 at night myself a few times....

[midwingcrisis]

I will assume that a 406 ELT was on board.....minimum. Wonder why owners are balking on the installation of these units? Pretty quick fix on them in not so good conditions

[jump154]

I will assume that a 406 ELT was on board.....minimum. Wonder why owners are balking on the installation of these units? Pretty quick fix on them in not so good conditions

+1 That's what I noticed from the Us report linked above -- the ELT, being linked to a tail number (which I think means it was a 406) meant they knew exactly which aircraft it was very quickly, and got the SAR guys there quickly. Good demonstration of the new system.

[midwingcrisis]

It would interesting to read in an incident/accident report...just how the 406 ELT played a role in a similar recovery. EG: track, altitude, GPS co ord , dispatch, SAR time etc. If so equipped. This may be an eye opener for someone that is on the cheap side of 2k as an investment. Another supplemental approach could be the use of the Iridium/GPS tracker solutions on the market.

[_vti]

I will assume that a 406 ELT was on board.....minimum. Wonder why owners are balking on the installation of these units? Pretty quick fix on them in not so good conditions

they are pretty expensive units, thats pretty much the reason!

tragic loss though

[tsgas]

they are pretty expensive units, thats pretty much the reason!

tragic loss though [/quote]

Your talking about $1000 on a $200,000. airplane. Sounds like a wise investment to me.

[midwingcrisis]

For the price of a "top off" on a light twin is the price of a 406 installed. I think they should mandate them now.

[4Stroke]

I will assume that a 406 ELT was on board.....

I believe you're right....If I recall correctly, all Diamond products 2006 and newer come standard with the Artex 406 MHz ELT.

Here's hoping to the speedy recovery of the second pilot.

4Stroke.

[CpnCrunch]

For the price of a "top off" on a light twin is the price of a 406 installed. I think they should mandate them now.

It could be $2k for a $20k plane which is one heck of an investment. Or for about $200 you could have a SPOT and a 121.5 ELT which will arguably do a better job.

[_vti]

they are pretty expensive units, thats pretty much the reason!

tragic loss though

Your talking about $1000 on a $200,000. airplane. Sounds like a wise investment to me.[/quote]

Putting things on the long finger is, and will always be, a very black and white decision, no matter how much the cost of the aircraft.

Heck airline operators will gladly stick a 10c sticky note and write INOP on it just to conform to the long fingered-ness! (once its not a legally required item)

[tsgas]

Putting things on the long finger is, and will always be, a very black and white decision, no matter how much the cost of the aircraft.

Heck airline operators will gladly stick a 10c sticky note and write INOP on it just to conform to the long fingered-ness! (once its not a legally required item)[/quote]

There's a a world of differences between all the systems available on an airliner compared to that on a "puddle jumper" like a DA 40. This aircraft is meant to fly in a gentle wx environment so there isn't a need for any MEL items.

[ASL Editor]

http://www.ntsb.gov/aviationquery/brief ... 182&akey=1