Victoria | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

The airline transport pilot departed on a night cargo flight into conditions that included an overcast cloud ceiling and “hazy” visibility, as reported by another pilot. About one minute after takeoff, the pilot made a series of course changes and large altitude and airspeed deviations. Following several queries from the air traffic controller concerning the airplane’s erratic flight path, the pilot responded that he had “some instrument problems.” The pilot attempted to return to land at the departure airport, but the airplane impacted terrain after entering a near-vertical dive. The airplane was one of two in the operator’s fleet equipped with an inverter system that electrically powered the pilot’s (left side) flight instruments. Examination of the annunciator panel lighting filaments revealed that the inverter system was not powered when the airplane impacted the ground. Without electrical power from an inverter, the pilot’s side attitude indicator and horizontal situation indicator (HSI) would have been inoperative and warning flags would have been displayed over the respective instruments. The pilot had a history of poor procedural knowledge and weak flying skills. It is possible that he either failed to turn on an inverter during ground operations and did not respond to the accompanying warning flags, or he did not switch to the other inverter in the event that an inverter failed inflight. Due to impact damage, the operational status of the two inverters installed in the airplane could not be confirmed. However, the vacuum-powered flight instruments on the copilot’s (right side) were operational, and the pilot could have referenced these instruments to maintain orientation. Based on the available information, the pilot likely lost control of the airplane after experiencing spatial disorientation. The night marginal visual flight rules conditions and instrumentation problems would have been conducive to the development of spatial disorientation, and the airplane’s extensive fragmentation indicative of a high-energy impact was consistent with the known effects of spatial disorientation. Ethanol identified during toxicology testing may have come from postmortem production and based on the low levels recorded, was unlikely to have contributed to this accident. Morphine identified in the pilot’s liver could not be used to extrapolate to antemortem blood levels; therefore, whether or to what extent the pilot’s use of morphine contributed to the accident could not be determined.

Probable cause:

The pilot’s loss of control due to spatial disorientation. Contributing to the accident were the inoperative attitude indicator and horizontal situation indicator on the pilot’s side of the cockpit, and the pilot’s failure to reference the flight instruments that were operative.

Final Report:

Crash of a Cessna 208B Super Cargomaster in Victoria: 2 killed

Date & Time: Nov 23, 1998 at 0030 LT

Type of aircraft:

Cessna 208B Grand Caravan

Operator:

Registration:

N9352B

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Cargo

Survivors:

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Vancouver - Victoria

MSN:

208-0061

YOM:

1987

Flight number:

RXX434

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

1653

Captain / Total hours on type:

400.00

Copilot / Total flying hours:

120

Aircraft flight hours:

6717

Circumstances:

Regency Express Air Operations Flight 434, a Cessna 208 Caravan (serial number 208B0061), was en route from Vancouver International Airport to Victoria International Airport, British Columbia, on a night visual flight rules (VFR) flight when it collided with trees on Saltspring Island, about five nautical miles (nm) north of the Victoria International Airport. The aircraft broke apart on impact and a post-crash fire occurred. The two pilots, who were the sole occupants of the aircraft, sustained fatal injuries, and the aircraft was destroyed. The accident occurred at 0030 Pacific standard time (PST).

Probable cause:

Findings as to Causes and Contributing Factors:
A. Although weather information was available by radio from the Vancouver FSS specialists or from the Victoria Terminal controllers, there is no indication that the pilots requested weather updates from either of these units.
B. The crew of RXX434 would have encountered the lower ceiling in the vicinity of Beaver Point. This lower layer of cloud would have restricted the crew's view of the ground lighting and reduced the ambient lighting available to navigate by visual means.
C. With the loss of ground references, it is unlikely that the crew would have been able to perceive the divergence of the aircraft's flight path away from its intended track by visual means.
D. The crew was unable to maintain separation between the aircraft and the terrain by visual means.
E. The published VFR arrival and departure routes for Victoria were not consistent with obstacle clearance requirements for commercial operators.
F. Regency Express Air Operations' crew manual suggested an en route altitude of 1,500 feet for this particular flight. That route and altitude combination is not consistent with published obstacle clearance requirements.
Other Findings:
1. At the time the crew completed their flight planning, the weather at the departure airport of Vancouver and the arrival airport of Victoria was suitable for a night VFR flight.
2. An amended terminal forecast for Victoria indicating the presence of a temporary ceiling at 2,000 feet asl was issued after the crew had completed their preflight planning activities.
3. The regulation requiring GPWS equipment does not apply to air taxi operations because the aircraft used in those operations do not meet weight or propulsion criteria.

Final Report:

Crash of a De Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter 100 off Victoria

Date & Time: Dec 16, 1976

Type of aircraft:

De Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter

Operator:

Registration:

C-FAJB

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Vancouver - Victoria

MSN:

YOM:

1966

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Approaching Victoria on a flight from Coal Harbour in Vancouver, the crew encountered limited visibility due to foggy conditions. The seaplane landed hard, causing both floats to be damaged. All 16 occupants were evacuated safely while the aircraft sank in the Juan de Fuca Strait, by a depth of 300 feet, about 4 miles south of Victoria Harbour.

Crash of a Consolidated PBV-1A Canso near Victoria: 2 killed

Date & Time: Jul 16, 1967 at 1740 LT

Type of aircraft:

Canadian Vickers PBV-1 Canso (OA-10 Canso)

Operator:

The Flying Fireman

Registration:

CF-FFX

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Fire fighting

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Victoria - Victoria

MSN:

CV-293

YOM:

1941

Flight number:

Tanker 772

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

10300

Captain / Total hours on type:

500.00

Copilot / Total flying hours:

3600

Copilot / Total hours on type:

Circumstances:

The crew was called at 1630LT for a forest fire that erupted on Skirt mountain near Victoria. The crew first made a scooping mission on the Saanich Inlet with more than 1,000 gallons of water. About an hour later, while flying at low height, the left wing of Tanker 772 struck a tree and the airplane crashed. Both pilots were killed, Alex Davidson (founder of The Flying Fireman) and Robert 'Paddy' Moore. The mission was completed on behalf of the BC Forest Service.

Probable cause:

Misjudgement of altitude on part of the flying crew.

Final Report:

Crash of a De Havilland DH.60M Moth in Victoria

Date & Time: Jul 16, 1935

Type of aircraft:

De Havilland DH.60 Moth

Operator:

G. S. Burns

Registration:

CF-ADR

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Victoria - Victoria

MSN:

798

YOM:

1928

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The engine failed in flight, forcing the pilot to attempt an emergency landing. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair and both occupants were injured.

Probable cause:

Engine failure in flight.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.60X Moth in Victoria

Date & Time: Mar 10, 1929

Type of aircraft:

De Havilland DH.60 Moth

Operator:

Victoria Aero Club

Registration:

G-CAKA

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Victoria - Victoria

MSN:

448

YOM:

1928

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The pilot, sole on board, was completing a local training flight at Victoria Airport. On final approach, while completing a last turn at a height of 50 feet, the engine failed. The aircraft stalled and crashed short of runway. The pilot was injured.

Probable cause:

Engine failure on final approach.