Witness: Pilot upset by weather conditions before doomed flight
CHATHAM A witness — who testified that the pilot in a deadly plane crash off Pelee Island in 2004 was angry about the weather conditions — was questioned, while under cross-examination during a civil trial in Chatham on Friday, about why that detail wasn’t in her written statement.
Donna Jean Olsen, 66, who suffers health problems and memory issues after being diagnosed three years ago with the onset of Alzheimer’s disease, was working as a ticket agent at the Pelee Airport when Georgian Express Flight 126 crashed through the ice on Lake Erie on Jan. 17, 2004, shortly after takeoff, killing all 10 people aboard, including pilot Wayne Price.
London resident Paul Brisco, the brother of one of the victims, Robert Brisco, is suing for aggravated and punitive damages on behalf of himself and his brother’s estate, which he administers.
The defendants, including Georgian Express Ltd., the air carrier, and Owen Sound Transportation Company Ltd., which contracted the charter to provide winter service for Pelee Island, have already admitted liability. The jury will determine what amount of compensation should be awarded for damages.
Robert Brisco, 46, of Chatham, and friends were returning from a hunting trip when Georgian Express Flight 126 crashed. The others who died included brothers Ted Reeve, 53, and Tom Reeve, 49, of Chatham, Dr. Jim Allen, 51, of Mitchell’s Bay, Ronald Spencler, 53, and Walter Sadowski, 48, both of Windsor, and Fred Freitas, 38, and Larry Janik, 48, of Kingsville.
Price, of Richmond Hill, whose estate is also named in the civil suit, died in the crash along with his fiancee, Jamie Levine, of Los Angeles.
Olsen testified on Thursday that Price was upset about having to fly in bad weather conditions the day of the crash, after being told to by Georgian Express operations.
However, Bob Love, lawyer for the defendants, noted it is not mentioned in a written statement by Olsen to Transport Canada that the pilot was upset or angry on the day of the fatal crash.
Olsen responded it wasn’t anything new about Price being angry about having to fly in poor weather conditions.
Prior to being cross-examined by the defence, Jerry O’brien, lawyer for the plaintiff, asked Olsen about the events of Jan. 4, 2004, regarding a flight to Pelee Island from Windsor where Price was also the pilot.
Olsen recalled hearing Price on the radio saying he was turning around and returning to Windsor because the visibility was so bad he couldn’t see the island.
She said Price called her after he landed back at the Windsor Airport.
“He was very angry,” Olsen said. She recalled Price said Georgian Express operations we’re not going to do that to him again — making him fly in those kinds of conditions.
“Knowing Wayne as I did, it’s twice that had happened to him, he was told he had to fly,” she said of not including he was angry in her written statement.
“He knew he didn’t have a choice when it came to the 17th (the day of the crash).”
Love also questioned Olsen on what she remembered about the weather conditions on the day of the crash.
She agreed with Love that when she left the transportation office at the west ferry dock to go to the Pelee Island Airport for the arrival of the 4:20 p.m. flight from Windsor, there was just light snow falling and not a “hint of sleet.”
She helped load the hunter’s luggage and gear on the plane before it departed from Pelee Island.
Noting she was busy working, Olsen said she didn’t notice any ice on the plane. However, she had noticed a change in the weather and said she heard someone say they hoped the pilot had de-icer for the plane.
Olsen said she only saw there was freezing rain when she went to her pickup truck to leave for the day, shortly after watching the plane take off.
The trial continues Monday.