TSB said no Cockpit Voice Recorder on plane that crashed in Lake Country
By Nelson Daily Staff
The Transportation Safety Board said it will take the time needed to complete a thorough investigation of the fatal plane crash near Lake Country that killed four people Thursday.
The twin-engine Cessna Citation disappeared from radar at 9:40 p.m. PT on Thursday, only 11 kilometres north of Kelowna Airport after takeoff from Kelowna Airport.
The plane crashed shortly after takeoff, approximately four kilometres into a heavily wooded area north of Beaver Lake Road, east of Lake Country.
The TSB said the aircraft was not equipped with, nor was it required to carry, a Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) or a Flight Data Recorder (FDR).
However, the team will be reviewing any electronic components on the aircraft from which they can retrieve data to help understand the flight profile.
“The aircraft was destroyed from high deceleration forces after a vertical descent,” said the TSB website. “There were no emergency or distress calls made. No emergency locator transmitter signal was received.”
Former Alberta premier Jim Prentice was among the four people on board the plane who were killed.
The TSB team has examined the site (preliminary walk-around), taken photographs of the wreckage, been collaborating with the BC Coroners Service snd given Observer status to Transport Canada, the aircraft manufacturer, and the RCMP.
In the coming days, the TSB team will also:
- Examine, document and photograph the aircraft wreckage
- Make arrangements to transfer relevant aircraft components to the TSB Laboratory in Ottawa for further analysis
- Examine the occurrence site and surrounding terrain features
- Gather additional information about weather conditions
- Gather information on Air Traffic communications and radar information
- Obtain aircraft maintenance records and pilot records
- Interview witnesses and next-of-kin
- Review operational policies
- Examine the regulatory requirements
The TSB is an independent agency that investigates marine, pipeline, railway and aviation transportation occurrences. Its sole aim is the advancement of transportation safety and not assign fault or determine civil or criminal liability.
