Wind, pilot blamed in 2016 seaplane crash

Gusty crosswinds and poor decision-making by the pilot are being blamed for causing the hard landing of a float plane on British Columbia’s north coast that seriously injured one person.

A Transportation Safety Board report identifies those two factors in its examination of the May 2016 crash at Kitkatla, southwest of Prince Rupert, and it says some of its previous warnings could apply in this probe.

The report says the pilot and six passengers were aboard the de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver seaplane when the pilot tried to land in a crosswind and came down on the left float with enough force to bounce the plane back into the air.

The right float then collapsed after hitting the water, and the plane flipped upside down, although all seven people, including the badly injured victim, managed to climb out as it began to sink.

The report says the decision to carry out a water landing in gusty crosswinds, when lower-risk options were available, placed the aircraft occupants at greater risk.

It also says four of the 10 most frequently cited factors in seaplane crashes applied to the Kitkatla crash, including piloting skills, wind conditions and aircraft control.

The TSB report finds Inland Air voluntarily implemented a safety management system but there were no formal processes for assessing hazards or risks such as the crosswind conditions associated with the hard landing.

“Approximately 90 per cent of all Canadian aviation certificate holders are currently not required by regulation to have a (safety management system),” the board says, although it points to a previous recommendation urging Transport Canada to make such systems mandatory.

The report faults the safety briefing given to the passengers before takeoff. In addition, none of the passengers was wearing a personal flotation device.