TSB: Airbus departing Victoria too close to 747
When Air Canada flight 190 left Victoria’s Pat Bay Airport January 10, 2008 for a routine early morning flight to Toronto there were no indications the Airbus would soon be violently tossed in the air like a toy, injuring several passengers and causing an emergency landing.
Air Canada C-CBHZ is seen here in this 2005 photo. The Airbus was caught in the wake of a 747 in January, 2010. From a Creative Commons image by Wikipedia contributor Jolenine.
In a report released this week by Canada’s Transportation Safety Board, investigators reveal that existing minimum aircraft separation regulations were not enough to prevent the powerful wake from a United Airlines 747 from sending the twin-engine Air Canada jet into a series of violent rolls over Washington State. The out of control plane plummeted 10,000 feet before the pilots regained control and diverted to a safe landing in Calgary.
TSB map showing the location of the wake turbulence incident south of Penticton in Washington State. The dashed line indicates the Airbus' departure from Victoria and the emergency landing route to Calgary. The dotted line shows the path of the leading United 747 Courtesy Transportation Safety Board.
The incident caused chaos inside the Airbus, with food trolleys and baggage pitched about the cabin and several instances of unbelted passengers being flung against the ceiling. Nine people were sent to hospital in Calgary with injuries ranging from cuts and bruises to burns caused by spilled beverages.
TSB investigators said despite the fact the smaller Airbus was 20 kilometres behind the United 747–a safe distance according to regulations–the turbulence was still strong enough to send the plane into a series of violent rolls. The report also says the pilot’s forceful application of the rudder likely did more harm than good during the emergency and recommended limiters be placed on rudders so that emergency applications of the tail-mounted stabilizer won’t exacerbate already unstable flight.
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Responses to this Headline or Article
The five most recent replies to VibrantVictoria.ca's discussion forum's Victoria International Airport (YYJ) thread, the most relevant thread to the above headline or article:
aastra
May 12, 2012 at 11:36 amG-Man just muffed the address. Get rid of the redundant http at the front.
VicHockeyFan
May 12, 2012 at 11:40 amQuote: G-Man just muffed the address. Get rid of the redundant http at the front.
Thanks aasta, fixed.
Sparky
May 12, 2012 at 12:21 pmI wonder why the annual meeting pamphlet that showed the nonstop flights out of Victoria did not include Phoenix?
geekthegreek
May 17, 2012 at 8:13 pmI don't know if this is mentioned somewhere else, but it looks like a new multi-use (bike) path is being built between Pat Bay and the main YYJ terminal. Looks very nice to me. Part of it closest to the parking lot was paved (but cordoned off) when I was out there Wednesday evening.
I'd imagine this will link with the Lochside trail at some point. It should be nice for airport workers commuting, though I imagine some might wonder if it was needed (ie - aren't there other areas that are higher priority for a mu path right now? there was already a decent bike lane). Anyway, as a devoted cyclist, this gets a thumbs up from me.
