Crash on Labrador coast, Europe connection

[Pilot DAR]

It has been reported that someone has crashed on the coast of Labrador, perhaps ferrying to Europe. Type not specified yet;

https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/canada/1-dead-after-plane-crash-near-makkovik-1-seriously-injured/ar-AAANBpU?ocid=spartandhp

[Sam Rutherford]

Saving speculation, I survived. My colleague, tragically, did not.

[treadigraph]

Sam, what can anyone say. Thoughts with you and those who have lost...

[Pilot DAR]

Wow, Sam, I had no idea it could be you. Sad for your colleague, glad you survived. We all wish you the best....

Fellow PPRuNer's, out of respect for our member Sam, we'll leave this thread at that for now.

Pilot DAR

[Pilot DAR]

The BBC has identified the other pilot involved in this accident:

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-shropshire-48147150

I've reopened the thread, as there may be other relevant information people wish to post. Having been in a very similar situation myself, I'd like to remind posters that peace of mind is pretty important for a patient's recovery right now, so howabout posts of supporting nature please....

[RatherBeFlying]

As I recall from CBC radio As It Happens, the rescue team from Makkovik snowmobiled 45 miles over sea ice before reaching the fiord, then went up it and eventually had to climb up steep snow to reach the aircraft. Considerable effort was needed to extricate one occupant. Then had a long haul back.

Scroll to Labrador Plane Crash
CBC AIH Transcript May 2 (https://www.cbc.ca/radio/asithappens/as-it-happens-thursday-edition-1.5120088/may-2-2019-episode-transcript-1.5122652)

I will ask for permission to quote. Audio is also available.

Best of all they had a good GPS position:ok:

[piperboy84]

Sam, sorry about your friend, glad you made it. Get well soon.

[RatherBeFlying]

With permission
Transcript from CBC (https://www.cbc.ca/radio/asithappens/as-it-happens-thursday-edition-1.5120088/may-2-2019-episode-transcript-1.5122652)

PLANE CRASH RESCUE
Guest: Perry Dyson
JD: A small aircraft was on its way to Greenland when it crashed into the side of a mountain on Labrador's north coast. And then the blizzard early yesterday morning did nothing to give anyone much hope. Visibility was extremely poor which would pose serious difficulties for rescue helicopters at the site. And then there was the risk that the crashed plane would slide down the steep slope. Nevertheless a small ground search-and-rescue team gathered in nearby Makkovik -- and despite the odds, retrieved the two men. Sadly one died from his injuries before he arrived back at base. The other is recovering. Perry Dyson is one of the rescuers. We reached him in Makkovik, Newfoundland and Labrador.
CO: Perry when you got the call for this rescue, what did you learned about the state that the men were in?
PERRY DYSON: When I departed from Makkovik I expected a man and a woman -- a woman who was unconscious. The second occupant, the one who is maintaining conversation, I understood was to be in fairly good condition but a bit beat up.
CO: And so that's all you had. And so you headed off on snowmobile, right?
PD: That's right. We left here from Makkovik -- distance of about 45 miles maybe on sea ice to the bottom of [inaudible] where we had two events over the land at that point.
CO: What were the conditions like?
PD: The air was really thick and close to us. The whiteout conditions with regard to fog and and freezing drizzle and some rain and periods of snow -- it was very difficult to see after we left to sea ice and started to proceed over the land.
CO: Did you have a fairly good idea where you were going to find the plane?
PD: Well we had an exact location with regard to a GPS coordinates. Yeah we had a pretty good idea of where we were headed. The area that it was is often quite unpredictable because of the terrain -- and the high winds up there often cause drifts you know and in the weather condition, it's impossible to see them so they have to be very careful.
CO: And where exactly was the plane? How had it crashed?
PD: It was at a significant height on the side of a pretty steep bank -- a pretty steep hill. Basically just stuck there.
CO: How precarious was that?
PD: We could get to within I think 580 metres to 600 meters of the aircraft on snowmobile but then it just became too steep and then the snowmobiles we couldn't advance any further. So we had to walk the remaining 500 to 600 metres up of the embankment to the plane.
CO: And when you say had to walk -- I mean it wasn't you just walk along. You're dealing with snow, rain, and ice.
PD: Yeah we climbed. Basically the last half of the climb the going was very steep and you almost had to you know help yourself with your hands -- crawling to get up to the plane. And the conditions yeah we were in a whiteout. Until we were within 25 or 30 feet of plane, you couldn't make it out.
CO: So what did you find? What did it look like when you finally got to the plane? And we understand now two men were there. What was it like?
PD: It was surreal. You couldn't imagine this plane just nosing into the snow bank the way it had done. The plane was still sealed. We could communicate with the fellow inside. He could hear us through the window and we could hear him. But we didn't make the decision to open the aircraft until the decision was made that we would have to transport him back through the sea ice.
CO: Because you have to take him overland and neither the aircraft were going to be able to help you with that I guess eh?
PD: No. At that point they had pretty much decided that they weren't going to be able to help us.
CO: When you say it was surreal, what do you mean?
PD: It's not something that I've done before. And to see the aircraft in that area -- most of the members in our ground search-and-rescue team have been to that area before, some for hunting, some for patrols on the radar site. And our fathers and grandfathers have been there. So to see an aircraft nose into the side of the hill was a bit -- yeah it was surreal. It was hard to imagine that that would really happen.
CO: What do you think it was like for those men inside?
PD: The gentleman who was conscious and alert, he was in remarkably good condition both mentally -- probably better mentally than physically. He was a bit banged up around his upper body from his chest up. But he had been in contact pretty much constantly through JRCC which the Joint Rescue Control Centre and then eventually the Herc and the cormorant helicopter that were an area. And he had everything to do with his own rescue. He remained alert and calm and kept his head through the whole thing.CO: How difficult was it to get the men out?
PD: At first we thought the sea ice where visibility might improve enough that the cormorant could get them and then eventually to Makkovik. We opened up one of the emergency hatches inside of the plane and the individual who was conscious he climbed out basically slowly. I think he wasn't even entirely sure of his physical condition at the time. The second individual, we took him from the plane -- he wasn't able to help himself.
CO: How did you get him out?
PD: One of the fellows climbed inside and another fellow leaned in through the door. We had to tear one of the seats back -- off of the plane -- to get him out because he was...it is hard to explain how tiny this plane was but in the front -- the cockpit -- was just two seats and that buried off the cockpit from the whole back end the plane. The fuselage of the plane had kind of caved in on that side where he was and it would have been difficult anyway. After we got him out and the other gentleman who was conscious and alert, he basically walked himself down the hill.
CO: Amazing after a crash like that and staying for hours in the cold that you could actually do that.
PD: Yeah. His strength and mind was really amazing -- it was remarkable.
CO: So you got both men onto the snowmobiles. How long was the trip back to the Makkovik?
PD: We had to transport the two men down the hill to the snowmobiles before we could get back to the sea ice and we got back to Makkovik just past 9 I think that night.
CO: And was your conscious man -- was he pretty happy to get into a warm place?
PD: He looked relieved I can say to get into the clinic and have a nurse look him over and tell him that he had some trouble but he was going to be fine. And I think he took comfort in that. Well I did and I'm sure everybody else did too. This man is going to go home to his family.
CO: And the other man, he didn't survive.
PD: No. No. He succumbed.
CO: So sorry
PD: Yeah me too.
CO: And so now have you been over to see the man? Have you had any contact with him?
PD: I haven't had contact with him. He took our names and he exchanged email information with at least one of the guys. If I was him -- first thing I'd want to do is get home to my family. I'm sure I'll be glad to hear from him that he's doing well.
CO: Well Perry I'm really glad that you and the others were there. It's really great that you could rescue both. And that one of them has survived so thank you for that. And thanks for speaking with us.
PD: Well thanks for the call. I appreciate it.
JD: Perry Dyson was a member of the ground search-and-rescue team that retrieved two men from a crashed plane yesterday. We reached Mr. Dyson in Makkovik, northern Labrador.

[PastTense]

I was wondering what type of snowmobiles were used in the rescue and found a picture of Perry Dyson's (quoted above) on his family's 8 hour snowmobile trip to catch a plane to see the Boston Bruins hockey team play a game.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/boston-bruins-labrador-family-trip-1.4579199

[Mike Flynn]

This paragraph from the CBC interview with ground rescue leader Perry Dyson says a lot about the weather conditions Sam found himself in.

The air was really thick and close to us. The whiteout conditions with regard to fog and and freezing drizzle and some rain and periods of snow -- it was very difficult to see after we left to sea ice and started to proceed over the land.

[jecuk]

The direct path from CYYR to BGBW passes over the Benedict Mountains. Seems to be consistent with the crash site reports on here and in the media.

[Mike Flynn]

Terry Holloway has passed me this translated transcript of a story that appeared in the Belgian press earlier this week.


What those emergency services have done borders on the incredible. They risked their own lives to save us. "

British-Belgian pilot Sam Rutherford has crawled through the ice in Canada. The plane with which he and his friend Alan wanted to fly back to England crashed against the wall of a steep slope in northern Canada. It took seven hours for the emergency services to reach the site of the crash. “I was incredibly lucky. Thanks to my wife, who sent Canadian help teams out of Brussels, I survived. ”His friend Allen died shortly after the rescue operation.

“Suddenly there was that blow, from nowhere. No warning signal, no cries from my friend at the control stick. Nothing. Baf. Done. ”Sam Rutherford (47), a British pilot who is married to a Belgian and lives in Brussels, can still retell it. Not his friend Alan Simpson (73). The man died on the way to the hospital.

“I've known Alan for a few years, we both love flying. He had bought a new airplane, a single-engine aircraft, in West Virginia, America. We would pick it up together and fly it back to Shropshire in England, where he lives. "

The first part of that flight went well, but an hour after they took off in Goose Bay, Canada, things went wrong, Rutherford says. “I still don't know what exactly happened. We were on our way to Greenland to make the crossing to England. Alan was behind the control stick, I was working on my laptop. The weather was not exceptionally bad. It was snowing, but in Northern Canada that is not exceptional. ”And then there was that blow.

"Blood everywhere"

"We were both unconscious for a moment, I think. When I recovered, I saw that Alan was not moving, but still breathing. I immediately put an emergency blanket over him in a reflex to keep him warm. The plane was on the flank of a steep hill. I first tried to open the door. That was impossible, the snow was too thick. I started to pry at the emergency door, but realized that was not a good idea. It was warm inside and outside and it was snowing and freezing. "

Only then did he realize that he was also wounded. “Blood everywhere. My ankles and knees were broken, my left shoulder was bleeding - the seat belt had been sanded right through my clothes, I had my head slammed against the dashboard and my chest against the control stick. I was in pain. ”

Woman helps from Brussels

Contacting the outside world was hardly possible. Everything crashed due to the crash, says Sam. “Fortunately I had my satellite channel with me. A handy thing with which I always send messages to my wife, because my job often makes me far away from home. ”He told her that the plane had crashed somewhere in Northern Canada, on the Labrador Peninsula, with the coordinates there. "My wife then alerted the Canadian emergency services from Brussels."

But the crash site, near Makkovik, was very difficult to reach. At that time there was also a heavy snowstorm, so that the rescue helicopter could not take off. The Canadians then left with snowmobiles for the plane. “In the meantime, my wife kept me constantly informed. That the rescuers had left, that they were on their way, how long it would take. Unbelievable what she has done to help us. "

Snowmobiles

Seven hours after the crash, Canadian emergency services arrived at the wreck with their snowmobiles, says Sam. “In the meantime it had become terribly cold. Alan was still not conscious. I had found a few more blankets that I laid on him and crawled underneath. When I heard the voices of the rescue team, I was incredibly happy. "

Alan and Sam were both tied on a rescue sled. After a three-hour journey, they arrived in Makkovik. “What those emergency services have done borders on the incredible. They risked their own lives to save us, because the weather was hellish, "says Sam.

Breast bone broken

Unfortunately, Alan couldn't help anymore. “When we arrived in that town, he died. His injuries were too bad and it took too long before we could be saved. Nobody can do anything about it, without the rescue team I probably wouldn't be there either. ”

In the hospital, the doctors diagnosed various bruises and deep flesh wounds with Sam. "The pain was bad. Certainly on my chest. Breathing was very painful. Logical, the doctors said. My breastbone was broken due to the impact on the control stick during the crash. ”

Sam stayed in a Canadian hospital until Sunday morning. He took the plane to Brussels last night to be able to recover at home. “All in all, my injuries are not too bad, nothing that time cannot heal. But my friend Alan is dead.

[Mike Flynn]

Here is the latest from Sam Rutherford.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/dam-rutherford-pilot-crash-labrador-returns-1.5175616

[rnzoli]

Thanks for shairing the update, amazing story in many ways.

[evil7]

Yes, interesting story but also amazingly dumb in a few ways, I think.
Flying low (below MSA) without the necessary electronic charts and as it seems not checked paper charts for the MSA in bad weather?? Also I guess you could program a GPS before take-off.
I am happy someone survived.

[Sikorsky]

Were any of the pilots IFR certified?

[Sam Rutherford]

Yes, both - but flight was VFR and VMC...

[megan]

White out then Sam? Be interesting your explanation as to cause, but appreciate your reluctance to revisit.

[rnzoli]

I guess a gentle, snow-covered, featureless up-slope can be a major hazard for collision with terrain. Throw in low ceiling, mist, light conditions, constant (or complete lack of) terrain warnings from GPS, and the risks go up exponentially, and so should vigilance :(

[Sam Rutherford]

I don't want to pre-visit the official report, so am keeping my intervention to a minimum until then - hopefully that makes sense.

Thanks, Sam.

[megan]

Fully understand Sam, hope your physical recovery is complete.

[patowalker]

Air transportation safety investigation report A19A0025 - Transportation Safety Board of Canada (http://www.bst-tsb.gc.ca/eng/rapports-reports/aviation/2019/a19a0025/a19a0025.html)

[Cloudee]

I don't want to pre-visit the official report, so am keeping my intervention to a minimum until then - hopefully that makes sense.

Thanks, Sam.

Now that the report is out, can you add anything Sam?

[Sam Rutherford]

Fair question.

Just that there is more to the story than what appears in the report, but because it cannot be verified 100% it is not mentioned at all. Before you ask, I'll not be mentioning it here either (sorry).

One thing though that is perhaps useful/helpful. I believe our CRM and cockpit gradient was all wrong. Two experienced pilots. One with more handling experience of the aeroplane and the route, the other with more systems experience of the aeroplane and the owner of the aircraft, alternating PIC. What I had seen as a positive factor was in fact a poor mix, with both of us relying more on the other than had either of us been alone or with an inexperienced pilot.I'd like to again thank the SAR teams for their efforts to give both of us the best possible chance of survival.

[hawker750]

Sam,
What I and probably a lot of other people are wondering is why were attempting to fly a 675 mm sector low level and VFR in an aircraft certified to 25,000 ft. when the conditions were marginal VMC? You were stacking the odds against yourself surely. You can quote CRM/cockpit gradient as much as you like but CRM does assume the participants have a degree of basic airmanship.
I have done that sector dozens of times in singles. It requires a great deal of detailed planning and beyond all an acceptance to wait around until conditions are correct.
it is sad that as PIC your passenger was killed. I am surprised the licensing authorities did not have more to say

[Sam Rutherford]

Hi H750,

The winds aloft were strong and against (at least for the first third of the leg), with cloudbase (below freezing) between 2000 and 3000amsl. The plan was to remain VMC (thus filing VFR, and staying below cloud) until approximately that 1/3 point, and then to climb. As mentioned in the report, we planned to either maintain visual contact (fly around any obstacles) or if in any doubt, to nevertheless climb (aircraft was FIKI capable) to the MSA. I do not know why it went wrong, though I have my theories (which are partly described in the report).

It's perhaps important to realise that the ground was covered in millions of small trees providing great ground reference except for/until the hill which was the only area for miles with no features whatsoever.

[tcasblue]

Assuming the facts presented are accurate(and we have been told that there is further info which will not be provided), it is a good example of the importance of being aware of nearby minimum altitudes anytime there is a possibility of terrain being obscured, either by cloud, darkness, or whiteout conditions. Snow covered terrain under cloud can visually disappear on you. Just because there are trees here(or visible rock, structures, etc) does not mean that they will continue to be visible in the future. A Malibu moves fast and new terrain features arrive quickly.

While it may not make the follow the rules crowd happy, if one has decided to press on, breaking a rule and entering cloud at a higher altitude can increase safety at the expense of a regulatory violation.

Increasing one's awareness of possible hazards in aviation(such as whiteout) can be lifesaving and not all regulatory agencies necessarily cover this during pilot training. As a general rule, one should take the initiative and learn from past accidents. A DC-10 crash in the Antarctic has similarities to this accident and should be familiar to all pilots, but in reality, is familiar mostly to those who have gone above and beyond the training they were provided.

While there are lessons to be learned here, they are not new lessons and the appropriate information is out there, although not easy to find.

[megan]

they are not new lessonsI don't think there are any new lessons to be learnt anywhere, all accidents are nothing but a repeat of what has gone before. Trouble is remembering the causes and lessons to be had behind all the accidents you read about. I need a large hard drive between my ears.

[rnzoli]

Trouble is remembering the causes and lessons to be had behind all the accidents you read about. I need a large hard drive between my ears.
There is no need to remember all the causes and lessons, they are distilled into a a set of basic rules, which are much easier to remember.
The real troble, I think, is to stick to the basic rules despite all the technical innovations in modern aircraft and pilot accessories, like traffic and terrain warning systems.
Here is an interesting study from 2005 on how this creates a trap that we are all likely to fall into.
Effects of Advanced Cockpit Displays on General Aviation Pilots’ Decisions to Continue Visual Flight Rules (VFR) Flight Into Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC) (https://www.researchgate.net/publication/24391996_Effects_of_Advanced_Cockpit_Displays_on_General_Avi ation_Pilots'_Decisions_to_Continue_Visual_Flight_Rules_VFR_ Flight_Into_Instrument_Meteorological_Conditions_IMC)

The sad irony is that all those technical advancements, which make IFR flying so much safer, are increasingly likely to kill pilots flying VFR :(