Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
Page 5
Page 6
Page 7
Page 8
Page 9
Page 10
Page 11
Page 12
Page 13
Page 14
Page 15
Page 16
Page 17
Page 18
Page 19
Page 20
Page 21
Page 22
Page 23
Page 24
TransportationAviation6TuesdayAugust272013Anear-deathexperienceandtwohoursdelayedBuffaloAirpilotssalvagecrashlandingofDC-3leavingnoneinjuredBySCOTTCLOUTHIERThefateofpassengersaboardaBuffaloAirwaysDC-3thatcrashedshortlyaftertakeoffinYellowknifeonMondaymayhavebeenworseifnotfortheactionsofitspilotssaytwowhowereaboard.StephaneMilletteandDaveConnellywereamong18passengerswhoboardedC-GWIRavintageDouglasDC-3aircraftheadedforHayRiveronMondayevening.About30secondsaftertake-offpassengersontherightsideofthecabinnoticedamescomingfromtherightengine.ThestreamofrecomingfromtheenginewasaboutthreetofourfeetinlengthsaidConnellyaboardmemberforAvalonRareMetalswhowasonhiswaytoHayRivertoat-tendthePrimeMinistersvisit.Itwasthatclassicthingthatyouseeinthemovieshesaid.AtthatpointConnellysaidtheightattendantwentintothecockpittoalertthetwopilotsaboutwhatwashappening.Theyreactedim-mediatelyhesaid.Youcouldseetheco-pilotwasreadingthroughthechecklistwhichiswhatyouresupposedtodoIgatherConnellysaid.MillettewhoisprincipalatHayRiverscoleBoraleschoolalsofeltatthatpointlikehewasingoodhands.Itjustseemedliketheyweredoingeverythingper-fectlyhesaid.Theythenbegantobringtheaircraftaroundtoreturntotheairport.Itwasalongslowturnandbythistimethepropontheright-handsidewasdeadandtheoneontheleftwasgivingiteverythingithadConnellysaid.OncetheairportwasinsightConnellysaiditbecameapparentthattheplanewasdescendingtooquicklytomakeitbacktotheairstrip.Ispeculatedatthatpointthathewasgoingtoditchorgoforaroadbecausetheotheroptionatthatpointwasrockorrockwithtreesonit.ButConnellysaidthecap-tainkepttheplaneoncoursefortheYellowknifeairport.hejustclearedthepowerlines.Connellysaidhesheardsto-riesofairplaneshittingpowerlineswithdisastrousresults.FirefightersreachedtheaircraftwithinveminutesofthepassengersevacuatingaccordingtoBillMerceran-otherpassengerandbegantodousethestill-amingengine.DespitetheseverityofthesituationbothMilletteandConnellysaidallpassengersremainedcalmforthemostpart.NobodywaspanickedMillettesaid.Theonlytimeitwasalittlemorenervousisoncetheplanecamedownandwehadtogetoutquicktoletthereghtersspraytheplanedown.Connellyforhispartsaidonlywhentheplanestartedhittingthetreesdidhenoticeotherpassengersexpressingthemselvesemotionally.Bothagreetheoutcomecouldhavebeenworseifnotfortheactionsofthecrew.ThepilotsandthestaffdidanawesomejobMillettesaid.Afterbeingcheckedoutbyambulancestaffthepassen-gersweregivenaridebacktotheBuffaloAirwayshangarwheretheywereofferedcoffeeandpizzawhiletheyawaitedBuffaloJoeMcBryanwhohadpilotedanearliersched-uledighttoHayRivertoybackandpickthemuptocompletetheirjourneyacrossGreatSlaveLake.AsidefrompilotheroicsConnellyfeltabitofserendip-itymayhavecontributedtothepassengersgoodfortunesthatday.Thepreviousighthadbeenloadedwithallcheckedluggagefrombothflightssavingperhapshundredsofpoundsofextraweightfrombeingaboardtheill-fatedplane.Connellysaidafewpassen-gerswerealsotransferredfromthelaterighttoHayRivertotheearlieroneamongthemPremierBobMcLeod.FromthatpointofviewIthinkthepremiersavedourliveshesaid.PassengerscomplainoflongwaitonrunwayAlthoughhehadnothingbutcomplimentsfortheightcrewreghterspoliceandambulanceConnellysaidwhenitcametogettingthepassengersawayfromthelandingstripandbacktothehangaritjustdidntseemtocometogether.Connellysaidpassengerswereleftstandingontheairportineldforcloseto45minutesbeforebeingofferedridesbacktoBuffaloshangarintheambulances.Whateventuallydroveitistherewasanairplanecir-clingwithonly20minutesfuelleftandatthatpointtheyreckonedtheyhadbettergetthepeopleoutofthere.MichaelConwayregionalsuperintendentfortheNWTdepartmentofTransporta-tioninYellowknifesaidtheairportstaffweresimplyfollowingprotocolswhichrequirethemtowaitforthenodfromtheTransportationSafetyBoardbeforemovingpassengersortheaircraft.1715iswhentheplaneac-tuallycametoresthesaid.Within30secondswehadreghtersthere...ButwecantmoveanywayuntiltheTrans-portationSafetyBoardstatesthat.Sotheytoldusat1741thatthepassengerscouldbereturnedtoBuffaloAirways.At1742therstshuttlewasrequestedtotakethepassengersthere.Sotherewascertainlynodelayonourpart.Despitetheharrowingex-perienceConnellysaidevery-thingwasbacktonormalveryquicklyasonceMcBryanwasabletoreturnforthestrandedpassengerstheymadeitintoHayRiverby800p.m.Anear-deathexperienceandtwohoursdelayedhesaid.Bothpassengerssaidtheyhavenohesitationabouty-inginaDC-3againinthenearfuture.ThoseplaneswerebuilttosurviveacrashMillettesaid.Connellywhosaidthiswashisrstmajorincidentin30yearsofyingintheNorthwasalsoundeterredbutdidsaythatabottleofscotchgreet-inghiminthearmsofafriendashenallyarrivedinHayRiverwasawelcomesight.Thatwasgreatlyappreciated.TheTransportationSafetyBoardinvestigationintothecrashiscurrentlyongoing.WithlesfromMeaganWohlbergIthinkthemostheart-stoppinggut-wrenchingmomentwas...inmyviewhejustclearedthepowerlines.PassengerDaveConnellyHemade...agooddecisiontogofortheairporthesaiddespitetheplanehavingtocleartwosetsofobstaclesbeforemakingtheairportgroundspowerlinesandtrees.ItstartedtogetalittlebittensebecauseitwasclearthatweweredescendingnomatterhowmuchthrustheputonConnellyrecounted.Ithinkthemostheart-stoppinggut-wrenchingmomentwas...inmyviewMyunderstandingisthatwhenyouhitthepowerlinesplanelosespowerlinewins.AfterclearingthelinesonlybymerefeetConnellyattestedtheplanebegantodescendintothetrees.Atthispointhesaidhewashappytobeaboardaheavyoldplane.Thetreesdidntslicethroughtheplanetheplaneslicedthroughthetreesinamannerthatwasreminis-centofaweedeatercuttingthroughgrassConnellysaid.BuffalosMikeyMcBryanexpressedasimilarsenti-mentonTwitterfollowingtheaccidentEveryoneisok.Thecrewwasamazing.TheDC-3isthestrongestairplaneintheworldhesaid.OncetheplanegotthroughthetreesConnellysaiditeventuallylandedonitsbellyonthegrassineldattheairportshortoftherunway.Whentheplanehitthegrounditbegantospinlikelyduetothepropellordiggingintothesoftearth.ConnellysaidtheG-forceswerequitetremendouslikeningthemtoanamusementparkride.OncetheplanestoppedMillettesaidthecrewwasquicktogeteveryonesafelyofftheaircraft.Thestaffgotrightinchargerightawayandgoteverybodyoutoftheplanequickhesaid.Connellysaideveryoneex-itedthroughthereardooroftheaircraftwheretherewerenostepssoheaidedotherpas-sengersdowntotheground.PhotoDaveConnellyFireghtersputouttheblazeaboardBuffaloAirwaysvintageDouglasDC-3thatcrashlandedshortlyaftertakeofffromYellowknifelastMondayeveningonitswaytoHayRiver.