rotornut
15th May 2006, 11:33
One dead in crash of newly-delivered Saskatchewan plane
Saskatoon StarPhoenix
Published: Sunday, May 14, 2006
LA RONGE, Sask. -- An air tanker that crashed during training on Sunday, killing one pilot and injuring two others, was just delivered to the Saskatchewan government in the last month, says the province's environment minister.
The Convair 580A was one of four planes the Saskatchewan government had recently bought from Conair Aviation of Abbotsford, B.C., said John Nilson.
"They are older planes that have been totally refurbished with new instrumentation and new engines on them, so they are like brand new airplanes," Nilson said.
He said the plane was like a small passenger plane that could fit about 100 people and was equipped to drop fire retardant on forest fires.
Both Nilson and Saskatchewan Premier Lorne Calvert offered their condolences to the family of the 54-year-old man from La Ronge who died.
"Our condolences are clearly for the family of the man who died but we're very thankful that the other two don't have life-threatening injuries," Nilson said.
The aircraft went down about 12:30 p.m. Sunday about 1 1/2 kilometres from the provincial firefighting centre in La Ronge, about 380 kilometres northeast of Saskatoon.
"This is right here at the main centre, it went down about a kilometre and a half from the main office, so people were able to run through the muskeg to get to the site," Nilson said.
The crash caused some fuel to spill, but Saskatchewan Environment employees were on site cleaning it up, Nilson said. He did not give details on how much fuel had spilled.
Three pilots were on board conducting training. One was from Conair's main office in Abbotsford, B.C., and had come to help train the Saskatchewan pilots, Nilson said. He said the pilots also had training on the aircraft in British Columbia.
Names of the pilots were not released.
Nilson said it's believed to be the first fatality with this type of plane.
"We bought it because Alberta and British Columbia have been using this plane and planes like it for quite a number a number of years and it's served them very well.
"But it was just delivered in the last month and it has been used to fight a couple of fires but we had a fairly wet spring so there aren't a lot of fires right now."
The pilot who died had worked for the forest protection branch of Saskatchewan Environment for a number of years, said Steve Roberts, executive director of the forest protection branch.
He said there were no eyewitness reports of the accident.
"We just know the plane was coming in. And it crashed into the timber north of the airport."
Roberts said investigators will be contacting other pilots who were in the area and who might have seen the crash.
"This is a very tragic occurrence," said Roberts. "We're doing everything we can to assist those involved and to find out what caused the crash."
Calvert praised the pilots for risking their lives to keep others protected.
"These are heroes amongst us who protect our northern forests and carry out an important duty on our behalf."
http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/news/story.html?id=cb509e74-211c-4652-a5df-36d0e6228c6c&k=37129
Saskatoon StarPhoenix
Published: Sunday, May 14, 2006
LA RONGE, Sask. -- An air tanker that crashed during training on Sunday, killing one pilot and injuring two others, was just delivered to the Saskatchewan government in the last month, says the province's environment minister.
The Convair 580A was one of four planes the Saskatchewan government had recently bought from Conair Aviation of Abbotsford, B.C., said John Nilson.
"They are older planes that have been totally refurbished with new instrumentation and new engines on them, so they are like brand new airplanes," Nilson said.
He said the plane was like a small passenger plane that could fit about 100 people and was equipped to drop fire retardant on forest fires.
Both Nilson and Saskatchewan Premier Lorne Calvert offered their condolences to the family of the 54-year-old man from La Ronge who died.
"Our condolences are clearly for the family of the man who died but we're very thankful that the other two don't have life-threatening injuries," Nilson said.
The aircraft went down about 12:30 p.m. Sunday about 1 1/2 kilometres from the provincial firefighting centre in La Ronge, about 380 kilometres northeast of Saskatoon.
"This is right here at the main centre, it went down about a kilometre and a half from the main office, so people were able to run through the muskeg to get to the site," Nilson said.
The crash caused some fuel to spill, but Saskatchewan Environment employees were on site cleaning it up, Nilson said. He did not give details on how much fuel had spilled.
Three pilots were on board conducting training. One was from Conair's main office in Abbotsford, B.C., and had come to help train the Saskatchewan pilots, Nilson said. He said the pilots also had training on the aircraft in British Columbia.
Names of the pilots were not released.
Nilson said it's believed to be the first fatality with this type of plane.
"We bought it because Alberta and British Columbia have been using this plane and planes like it for quite a number a number of years and it's served them very well.
"But it was just delivered in the last month and it has been used to fight a couple of fires but we had a fairly wet spring so there aren't a lot of fires right now."
The pilot who died had worked for the forest protection branch of Saskatchewan Environment for a number of years, said Steve Roberts, executive director of the forest protection branch.
He said there were no eyewitness reports of the accident.
"We just know the plane was coming in. And it crashed into the timber north of the airport."
Roberts said investigators will be contacting other pilots who were in the area and who might have seen the crash.
"This is a very tragic occurrence," said Roberts. "We're doing everything we can to assist those involved and to find out what caused the crash."
Calvert praised the pilots for risking their lives to keep others protected.
"These are heroes amongst us who protect our northern forests and carry out an important duty on our behalf."
http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/news/story.html?id=cb509e74-211c-4652-a5df-36d0e6228c6c&k=37129