What concerns me about this tragedy is that much has been said about the survival suits, the cold seas, the MGB, but what is missing is anything about the float system. One member mentioned something about the retrofit, but really, in those seas, without the floats going off, there is little time for the persons to get out without the aircraft filling up with water. If, like what has been alluded to, the aircraft crashed without any control, then floats may not have helped. If, however, the pilots were able to have some control and put the aircraft in without much airspeed and somewhat upright, then rolling over, we must have a float system assist the evacuation. I don't want to sound like this is the only issue, but just that the Canadian Cormorant that went down a few years ago, the egress lighting didn't go on as a result of the DC battery being ripped out. The result was that crew members in the back did not have any lighting to emergency exits. As aircrew, I am trusting that equipment installed on board should work when needed the most. I hope that Cougar's crews and pax didn't perish because of malfunctioning safety equipment.
Myt condolences to the families in the communities of Newfoundland and Canada waiting patiently for answers.