Pilots abandon turbulent descent into Kelowna

There was some stomach-churning turbulence aboard a private jet before an aborted landing attempt last week at Penticton Regional Airport.

Preliminary details of the May 3 incident were published in Transport Canada’s Civil Aviation Daily Occurrence Reporting System.

Around mid-afternoon on that day, a Beechcraft B200 twin-turboprop with two crew members and two passengers aboard left Abbotsford International Airport bound for Penticton (CYYF).

“While approaching CYYF, a preceding aircraft reported moderate to severe turbulence between 9,000 feet above sea level (ASL) and 5,000 feet ASL approximately 13 nautical miles north of CYYF. The (Beechcraft) crew elected to change their approach plan and proceeded visually, directly to the airport,” states the CADORS summary.

“During this visual approach, moderate turbulence was encountered continuously below 9,000 feet ASL. As the aircraft approached 7,000 feet ASL, the crew turned to a heading of 340 degrees and observed rapid fluctuations in airspeed between 140 and 175 knots concurrent with rapid fluctuations in vertical speed between a 1,000-feet-perminute descent and climb.

The pilots eventually turned around and headed back to Abbotsford.

“There were no injuries. Company maintenance arranged an inspection of the aircraft. There was no damage found and the aircraft was returned to service,” concludes the summary.

The report includes the standard caution from Transport Canda that it contains “preliminary, unconfirmed data which can be subject to change.”

Built in 1981, the Beechcraft is operated by Winnipeg-based Fast Air Ltd., which bills itself as one of Canada’s largest plane charter companies.