Investigation Of Accident In Kelowna Which Fatally Injured Former Alberta Premier Jim Prentice Will Be Challenging, Board Says

A Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) team is currently in the Field phase of the investigation into the October 13, 2016 accident involving a Cessna Citation north of Kelowna, British Columbia. Current activities are focused on the collection of information from the accident site and various other sources. However, the absence of a Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) or a Flight Data Recorder (FDR) will make this investigation particularly challenging, the board said.

The accident fatally injured four people, including Former Alberta Premier Jim Prentice, according to the Canadian Broadcasting Corp.

The privately-operated Cessna Citation manufactured in 1974 involved in the crash was not equipped with, nor was it required to carry, a CVR or FDR. In Canada, only multi-engine, turbine-powered commercial aircraft flown by two pilots and carrying six or more passengers are required to carry a CVR on board.

“In Canada, Transport Canada requires medium and large commercial aircraft to be equipped with onboard flight recorders, but there are still no requirements for such recorders on smaller aircraft,” said Kathy Fox, Chair of the TSB. “As early as 1991, the Board made a recommendation calling for the upgrade of flight recorder requirements. This latest accident is another reminder of how important these recorders are. If we are to get to the underlying causes of these tragic accidents, Transport Canada and the aviation industry need to take immediate action to address this outstanding safety issue.”

The board has been calling for an expansion of the requirement since 1991, according to a TSB news release. In recent years, the aviation industry has developed several different lightweight flight recording systems which could be installed in smaller aircraft at a low cost. These flight recording systems could be used by accident investigators to identify safety deficiencies and reduce risk in a timely manner.

“The TSB urges the industry and private corporate aircraft owners to take advantage of the new, low-cost flight recording technology to advance safety in their operations,” said Fox.

(Images provided by the Canadian TSB)

FMI: www.bst-tsb.gc.ca