Second Fatal Accident In Area This Year

The bodies of two men aboard a Cessna 172 that went down on Vancouver Island, British Columbia in reported IFR conditions Saturday were found by a rescue party early Sunday morning, after rescuers were delayed in arriving at the scene due to low clouds, wind and swirling snow that enveloped the accident site.

The Victoria Times-Colonist reports the aircraft, a 1961 Cessna 172B (file photo of type, below) owned by a Port Alberni flying club, was not equipped for IFR flight -- and locals say the weather on April 15 was not ideal for visual flying.

"I certainly wouldn't have flown yesterday, it looked pretty bad," said George Pohl, manager of the Sechelt Airport where the flight departed at 2 pm Saturday en route to Port Alberni. "Most of the local pilots weren't flying."

When the aircraft failed to show up at Port Alberni later that day, an all-night search-and-rescue operation was launched. Emergency crews were able to lock in on the 172's ELT signal, but were hindered from travelling to the accident site -- a mountain ridge about six miles from the city -- by the poor weather.

The poor conditions even forced a Cormorant rescue helicopter to retreat from the scene, according to Capt. Cheryl Robinson with the 19 Wing Comox. "The weather was too awful, so they just couldn't see a thing," she said.

Rescuers found the white airplane at around 6 am Sunday morning. The plane had impacted trees, and was found inverted, said Master Cpl. Paul Lloyd, a 19 Wing search and rescue technician who located the plane.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police did not release the names of the men onboard, but independent sources confirmed to the Alberni Valley Times that the pilot was David Guy, 59, the treasurer of the Alberni Flying Club and a pilot with over 20 years flying experience.

Canada's Transportation Safety Board is investigating the accident, although a full-scale inquiry is not expected unless an aircraft defect, or similar extraordinary circumstances, are discovered during the preliminary investigation, said TSB manager Bill Yearwood.

Last Sunday's accident was the second fatal plane crash near Port Alberni this year. As was reported by Aero-News, a Cessna Caravan flying for Sonicblue Airways went down near the city's airport on January 21. The plane's pilot and two passengers were lost in that accident, with five others onboard injured.

Pilot error has been ruled out in that accident. Transport Canada cancelled Sonicblue's operating license after the accident, the airline's third fatal crash since 1998.

FMI: www.tsb.gc.ca/en/index.asp