Deadly Winnipeg Crash Prompts Calls For Changes

Canada's Transportation Safety Board (CTSB) concluded icing brought down a Cessna 208 Caravan (file photo of type below) last October in Winnipeg. Now the investigative agency wants to ground Cessna Caravans in anything but light icing conditions.

Pilot Nancy Chase-Allen died when the Morningstar Air Express caravan she was flying went down shortly after takeoff. Icing was reported as moderate in the area at the time -- the flight was legal under current icing rules.

During a news conference held Wednesday, board chairwoman Wendy Tadros said, "Sadly this accident taught us that once airborne, Cessna 208 pilots may not be able to safely exit dangerous icing. The safest course from our perspective is to avoid the risk altogether."

Shortly after takeoff, Chase-Allen told controllers she was returning to the field because of ice, but lost control of the aircraft during the attempt. The plane crashed in downtown Winnipeg.

The CTSB report also mentions the aircraft was about 3-percent over-gross for the conditions, but discounted that as a causal factor because of the uneventful takeoff.

CTSB recommended several changes to Caravan operational procedures last January which were adopted by Transport Canada. Included among those recommendations was an initiative to better train pilots to recognize and deal with icing.

The companies relying on the country's 100 or so Caravans for air shipments say the proposed rule change would be a financial hardship -- especially in light of the severity of most Canadian winters.

According to Canadian Press, ice has been a factor in 20 Caravan accidents since 1990.

Chase-Allen's family has named Cessna in a $25 million US lawsuit claiming negligence, fraud, product liability and breach of warranty.

The family's lawyer Jerry Skinner says Cessna has done little to address the alleged problem the aircraft has with icing. He maintains, "There have been Band-Aids -- new procedures, manual changes. They have addressed almost everything other than anything that would indicate the design of the aircraft is not appropriate for flight into icing conditions."

It unclear at this point what Transport Canada (TC) will do with CTSB's new recommendation. Up to now, TC has maintained concerns about in-flight icing are best handled through training.

Executive director of the Manitoba Aviation Council Bill Zuk agrees saying, "In essence every pilot is in fact the captain of their aircraft. They have the control over whether they fly or not and they have to judge through their weather reports and inspection of the aircraft whether it's safe."

FMI: www.tsb.gc.ca