Update: Wasaya Airways Grand Caravan cargo airplane was found

*Update - Wasaya Airways has issued this statement: Wasaya Airways has learned Search And Rescue (SARs) ground crews have reached the aircraft site of Wasaya flight 127.

Upon arrival, crews found the lone occupant of the aircraft, our Captain Nick Little, not responsive and he could not be resuscitated. Rescue crews are on site now and will remain on site through the night awaiting additional resources to airlift our fallen crew member home.

Rescue efforts were hindered by poor weather conditions in the area. A helicopter dispatched was unable to reach the site due to heavy icing. The Ontario Provincial Police, together with SARs technicians, launched a ground rescue initiative at approximately 3:51 PM when it was clear the helicopter was unable to reach the site. The SARs Techs arrived at the aircraft site on foot at approximately 10:50 PM.

Michael Rodyniuk, President and CEO of Wasaya Airways said, “We are devastated by the loss of Captain Little. We have lost a dear friend and valued colleague. Our thoughts and prayers are with Nick’s family.”

More information will be released as soon as it becomes available.

December 11, 2015

Wasaya Airways has issued a statement at 9:21 am. that it has received information that Flight 127 was "overdue and no longer in radio contact."

The airplane of concern is a Cessna Grand Caravan. It was carrying cargo from Pickle Lake, ON Canada (CYPL) to Wapekeka First Nation, ON. (CKB6).

The flight distance of 166.5mi (268km) should have taken about an hour.

It is believed that there is only one person on-board, the pilot.

Search and Rescue personnel are actively searching along the flight path.

Drone almost collides with Seair Caravan near Vancouver Canada

According to a Transport Canada report a quadcopter style drone flew within 10 feet of a Seair Caravan Seaplane (C-FJOE) near Vancouver BC. 

C-FJOE at Vancouver Water Aerodrome

At the time of the incident the aircraft was approaching Vancouver Water Aerodrome (CYVR) in VFR conditions. According to the pilot, when he was 40 feet from touch down a black drone came within 10 feet of his windshield. It was last seen heading northbound, away from the Aerodrome.

This latest near midair collision with a drone and an aircraft occurred on August 3 and is only the latest in a long list that have happened recently.

- CaravanPilot.com

Air Tindi Caravan forced to land on frozen lake after flying into icing conditions

Recently I was contacted by CJCD Moose FM in Yellowknife Canada and was informed that "they had an incident in the area involving a Caravan making a forced landing on a frozen lake in bad weather."  The radio station also wanted me to comment on the "Caravan's capabilities, and describe how difficult it would be to pull off a task like landing on a frozen lake." 

Obviously the Caravan is more than capable of landing on non-standard runways and even in off runway situations. However, that is not what needs to be asked here. The much more important question is, why did this airplane take off with a freezing drizzle warning in effect for the Yellowknife area? I will refrain from belittling the pilot and simply use this incident as a learning lesson for my fellow Caravan pilots. Especially since we do not know all of the facts pertaining to this recent situation.

Here is what we do know according to Transport Canada. On Thursday November 20th at 6:44 AM an Air Tindi C208B Grand Caravan (C-FKAY) departed Yellowknife airport NT for Fort Simpson airport NT with a pilot and 5 passengers on board. Approximately 22 minutes later the pilot requested clearance to return to Yellowknife airport due to icing. Approximately 13 minutes later and 1 minute before landing on a frozen lake, the pilot made a distress call due to severe icing. The Caravan suffered substantial damage to its left main landing gear and its left wing. There were no serious injuries reported.

A spokesman for Yellowknife RCMP, Cpl. Todd Scaplen stated that "3 helicopters waited hours Thursday for the weather to improve enough for them to take off to help the Cessna's passengers." Was that fact #3 that it was too icy for the Caravan to depart?

According to Jock Williams, a safety officer with Transport Canada, "pilots aren't suppose to take off in icy conditions and they have an obligation to check the weather." He went on to say that "We simply stay on the ground when we're faced with those circumstances, because no aircraft is certified to handle it [heavy icing] or capable of handling it."

In 2006 the NTSB released recommendations that the Caravan should not be flown in anything greater than light icing. Flying into freezing drizzle (which is what the reported conditions were at the time) can definitely cause greater than light icing to form on your airplane, as experienced by the Air Tindi pilot in Yellowknife Canada.

If you are a Caravan pilot, I highly recommend that you complete some of Cessna's E-Learning courses on this topic. Courses such as "Caravan Cold Weather Ops" and "Caravan Vodcast Ground Icing Conditions". There are many other interesting courses available, most of which are free and are all available at cessnaelearning.com.

I am not aware if this pilot was pressured to depart into a dangerous situation but I know for a fact that it happens, and it happens more often than you would like to know. If you are ever pressured to fly when you know that it is not safe, it's time for you to start looking for another employer... immediately!


- CaravanPilot.com

Caravan Pilots - Featured Pilot of the Month - Kathleen from SkyLink Express

This is the first in a series titled "Featured Caravan Pilot". It will start out here on the Caravan Pilots blog and will eventually move over to my site CaravanPilot.com after it has been relaunched. 

Meet Kathleen, our very first Featured Caravan Pilot! She is the only female and the youngest out of 40 pilots that her company employs.

Name: Kathleen

Age: 22

Total Time: 1500 hrs
Company: SkyLink Express (Canada's largest cargo feeder airline!)

Location: Halifax, NS Canada

Years flying the Caravan: 2 years this fall

What do you like most about flying the Caravan? 

The list of what I like most about the Caravan is lengthy as I've spent the majority of my professional life flying it. As a young pilot who began flying the 208 with relatively low time, I couldn't have chose a more forgiving aircraft to learn on. The Cessna Caravan is incredibly capable and unbelievably versatile. For me, learning IFR, SOPs & turbine theory was a steep learning curve. 

The C208 has been an excellent starter aircraft for many reasons! In learning all of these areas, the 208 was fast enough to challenge my abilities yet slow enough to teach me the basic skillset that I'll carry with me throughout my career. I learned everything from hand-flying an NDB approach to power and system management in challenging (and sometimes slightly scary) icing conditions. 

Along with the learning curve, I can honestly say that I doubt I'll ever have as much fun flying another airplane as I have with the Van. It handles well, it responds to pilot inputs very well, and has wildly impressive performance numbers (when it comes to takeoff and landing distances). I'm proud to call the Scare-a-Van "My First Turbine".

What are your goals? 

Throughout my career, I hope to spend some time in various capacities of the industry, including MEDIVAC operations, Corporate (Jet) flying, and eventually either large passenger airlines or large cargo operations.

What is your advice for younger pilots? 

Advice I could give to younger pilots is limited, in that I'm fairly young myself (or so I've been told). What I'd pass along to future hopefuls, is to seize (and make) every opportunity possible. Talk to pilots you meet, explore different aircraft, network as best you can, and NEVER burn bridges; the industry is FAR too small to make enemies. Keep your nose to the grind, and see every flight as a learning experience. Pilots log hours, aviators log lessons.

Thank you Kathleen for your great answers and advice! If anyone knows of a Caravan Pilot that you feel should be spotlighted send me an email chris@caravanpilot.com

Airframe icing and 600 lbs of excess weight led to C208B Caravan crash

Caravan C-GAGP operated by Gogal Air Services

On 18 November 2012 the Caravan pictured above crashed after loss of control due to an accumulation of Rime Ice on its wing surfaces. Accidents like this should serve as a reminder to us pilots that we need to be extra vigilant while operating in icing conditions. 

The Grand Caravan, operated by Gogal Air Services, was headed to Winnipeg when it crashed into a wooded area soon after take off. The crash killed the pilot and seriously injured the seven passengers on board. The 600lbs of excess weight and airframe ice increased the aircraft's stall speed and reduced its take off and climb performance.

According to the Canadian Transportation Safety Board:

"Although the pilot made an attempt to remove the ice before [the final] flight, a significant amount of it remained on the aircraft. No de-icing or anti-icing fluids were applied to the wing or horizontal stabilizer and no tactile inspection of the upper wing or tail surfaces was observed. The ice on the leading edges of aircraft's wings and tail would have reduced available lift, added extra weight, increased aerodynamic drag and thereby reduced its take-off and climb performance, increased its stall speed and impaired the protection afforded by its stall warning system, which is activated at a pre-set angle of attack based on a clean wing."

Caravan C-GAGP

After reading this, I encourage my readers to review the AFM or POH for the specific aircraft that they fly (difference between AFM and POH), specifically the sections pertaining to Icing and the Emergency Procedures - Icing. As far as the Caravan, you can also find this information in the Pilots' Abbreviated Checklist. But remember that the AFM or POH takes precedence over the PAC.

If you are a Caravan pilot, I also highly recommend that you complete some of Cessna's E-Learning courses on this topic. Courses such as "Caravan Cold Weather Ops" and "Caravan Vodcast Ground Icing Conditions". There are many other interesting courses available, most of which are free and are all available at cessnaelearning.com.

My fellow pilots, please remember to Review Often and Fly Safe so that you can continue to Have Fun!

- CaravanPilot.com