When is somebody going to design and build a modern jet airliner with gravel runway capability?

The B737-200 equipped with Boeing gravel kit is the only viable choice for gravel runway operations at frontier airports such as Resolute Bay...

Up to now there are no facts that supports a runway mishap. It looks more like a CFIT, so what does a gravel kit (or not) have to do with this accident?

The crash print shows some similitude with what was seen in Tripoli.

http://cdn-www.airliners.net/aviatio.../1/1881102.jpg

I don't think Twochai is suggesting the gravel kit is relevant to the accident, I think he's suggesting that better navigation capability, on a more modern aircraft, might have helped - but that the airline uses the old 737s because they have the gravel kit.

Based on info on AvHearld it appears to be a circle to land from the ILS 35 to land Runway 17.

These are the topo data with CAT C and D TERPs CTL protected airspace.
The "X" marks the approximate impact point followed by the dashed line representing the break-up path.

(following that graphic is the Jepp chart for the ILS 35.)

http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/a...er/CYRBCTL.jpg


http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/a...pster/11-1.jpg

aterpster- Jepp appear to disagree on terrain elevation - or is the 653 the lump between Cat C and D??

Where did you get the graphic of impact/track from? CNN now reporting the crash was 8km from the airport. Picture in post #8 certainly does not look like 8km..

Seems odd if true that they would choose the ILS 35T with a circling for 17T. The straight in 17T LOC appch has decent limits.

BOAC:

The red obstacle mark between Cat C and just north of the village. I believe that is what you are looking at.

From AvHerald. The first report about 8 km was an incorrect report. The Av Herald site shows people standing at the airport looking at the smoldering wreackage on the hills.

Interestingly enough, the smoke trail in photo [post-8] shows more of a tame crosswind, so ILS Rwy-35T would have been manageable. No need to circle to 17 with the low cloud deck.

The picture is looking to the east and shows a southerly wind. The hill is to the right of runway 35 and has the VOR/DME on it, 1 mile from the airport.

Nothing at all - except that more modern aircraft have much improved instrumentation, nav gear and autopilots, as Aterpster pointed out.

It's a very serious issue for those operators north of 60. Boeing still charges outrageous amounts for the paperwork to modify a 737-200 for gravel kit installation, even if the hardware is available. The razor thin margins of northern operation (very high fuel and maintenance costs, comparatively long stagelengths and low utilisation) make the economics marginal, at best.

But unfortunately, the 732 is the only game in town.

Deep condolences to the familes of those lost. Very sad day for aviation in Canada, and those doing northern flying.

I suspect, but do not know, that the aircraft's DFDR will have only basic (minimum legal) parameters with which to investigate this sad accident.

The relevant CARS governing the number, type, resolution and sampling rates of required parameters required for aircraft of various type certificate and manufacture dates is available here. Registry details for the aircraft can be found using this Transport Canada page. "Mark" is the registry of the aircraft, in this case, C-GNWN.

downnorth:

Any loss of life of innocents is always sad, not just in our vocation.

My wife and I recently enjoyed the TV series about Buffalo Air, or such.

I have a question for you: why do these remote Arctic locations have to have gravel strips? Is it economics?

Seems like a paved strip would open that airport up to modern, perhaps smaller jet airplanes. Seems like a state-of-the-art, dense seating Gulfstream jet would make a lot more sense if the pax load is typically small.

The ground shifts due to permafrost. Pavement would crack annually,

I really don't see how the type of aircraft has ANY bearing on this accident.

I am quite sure this was a cargo charter that also carried passengers. I doubt a smaller aircraft, or more modern aircraft, would have made any difference here.

Maintaining a paved runway on permafrost is quite difficult due to frost heaves. It's easier to maintain a gravel strip, particularly for only occasional use. Resolute is a community of only about 200 people, but is the jumping-off point for any northern exploration, so they do get more flights than the size of the community implies.

Keep in mind also that this flight was a cargo charter using a 737 combi. As such, it could have had as few as 12 seats in it, depending on the number of pallets they were carrying on the main deck.

First Air's scheduled flights into Resolute are performed using an ATR 42 or 72. They can also be set up for various amounts of freight. This airline is the lifeline into these northern communities, since they are frozen in during much of the winter, and can only get supplies by air.

GPWS? EGPWS?

This aircraft had GPWS.

With the gear down, and flaps in the landing configuration, only the pilots can keep the aircraft from hitting high ground.

If the gear and flaps are in the landing config the GPWS would not sound - further more the rad alt does not give call outs.

Survivors?
 

Roger on three survivors. I've read that one is a middle aged man, one a young girl, serious condition, both evacuated for hospital treatment down sounth. The third, a woman, is being treated at Resolute.