Originally Posted by
dave.rooney
I had a look at Google Maps of the area around CYKA. An engine failure on takeoff leaves you with the choices of a Domtar pulp & paper mill on the south side of the river, or residential neighbourhoods on the north (and the river straight ahead). None of those options seem particularly good. Perhaps the pilot was at least trying to turn towards the northwest where there's a bit of open space near the airport as well as the golf course.
There were two choices...eject or ditch in the river. The river was straight ahead and into wind. Eject raised the issue of positioning the aircraft to avoid ground damages and injuries. There was no possibility of that from a right turn after a second or so of the zoom. The other Tutor was well clear.
Had he been able to transition from the zoom to glide north to eject the aircraft would have come to earth in desert hills. Had he turned right, he could have pointed anywhere south and ejected at the top of the zoom or after stabilizing for optimal eject conditions. There is nobody on the south side of the Thompson. Nothing but desert hills.
Land on the river, unstrap and get out seems so obvious, but I suspect that is not something the military would ever consider. There was no realistic place to do a forced landing on land, certainly not that pulp mill.
Here is the overhead. The two yellow pins are where the pilot was found and where the aircraft impacted. It is 900 yards north to a safe impact area.
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