A321's wake turbulence blamed in Vancouver cargo plane crash in 2009

THE 2009 crash of a Canadian Air Charters twin-engine prop Piper Chieftain, which killed two pilots while on landing approach to Vancouver International Airport was caused by wake turbulence from other an Air Canada A321, according to a federal transportation safety board report.


"Current wake turbulence separation standards may be inadequate," the board said. "As air traffic volume continues to grow, there is a risk that wake turbulence encounters will increase."


NavCanada spokesman Ron Singer said his agency is working with Transport Canada on addressing the issue, which may require amendments to the current Canadian Air Regulations bill.


The cargo plane was arriving in darkness using visual flight rules at about 2200 hours, taking its place in landing order 1.5 nautical miles behind and 700 feet below the flight path of a much larger Air Canada Airbus A321. It was on a charter run for Canadian Blood Services and returning from Victoria, reports the Vancouver Sun.


The turbulence resulted in "upset and loss of control at an altitude that precluded recovery," the board was cited as saying in the report. The plane crashed in a Richmond industrial area near Bridgeport, killing the captain and first officer.


At the time of the accident only the north runway was open for the arriving aircraft. The other two runways were closed for maintenance, the report said.


It said air traffic control issued a turbulence warning to the aircraft, but did not assist the pilot in determining a safe distance, which the safety board would like to see happen for pilots flying on visual flight rules at night.


"The aircraft was not equipped with a cockpit voice recorder, nor was [a recorder] required by regulation, and it could not be determined what level of collaboration or communications occurred between the two pilots," the board said.


The report added that an article published in the March/April 2002 edition of the Flight Safety Foundation's Flight Safety Digest found that from January 1983 until December 2000, there were 190 accidents and incidents in the US involving wake turbulence, killing 35 people.
(Source:http://www.schednet.com)