Coal Harbour seaplane collision has similarities to 1999 accident

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The seaplane collision that occurred at Coal Harbour this weekend was the first in 25 years, according to a report. Air Transport Safety Survey Database From the Transportation Safety Board (TSB) of Canada.

in this case, A boat carrying two tourists was hit by a seaplane A seaplane took off from Victoria and attempted to land at around 4:40pm, injuring tourists on board, including one person who was taken to hospital with broken ribs and a collapsed lung. No seaplane passengers were injured.

Vancouver Fire Rescue Services said two people aboard the boat were taken to hospital following Saturday’s collision, but did not provide further details about their condition.

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Both Saturday’s collision and the 1999 collision occurred in a similar area of ​​the port, in the waters between Canada Place and Stanley Park. The area, known as the “Alpha Zone,” is one of three seaplane takeoff and landing areas in Vancouver Harbor.

Randy Hanna, founder of Area Alpha Marketing in Nanaimo, said Area Alpha is definitely the busiest of the three areas. Pacific Seaplanes.

According to statistics, 60,000 to 70,000 seaplanes take off and land in Vancouver Port every year, and another 25,000 to 30,000 aircraft enter the airspace. Harbour Air website.

There were five passengers on board the plane that collided with a boat on Saturday, according to a statement from Harbor Air, which operated the seaplane.

“During takeoff, our aircraft collided with a boat while on a sightseeing mission with five passengers on board. All five passengers and the pilot were safe and sound without any injuries,” the statement read.

In the 1999 crash, the seaplane pilot had received landing clearance from the control tower, which is located atop a high-rise building at the end of Granville Street. The control room has a 360-degree view and is located approximately 465 feet above sea level, making it the highest air traffic control room in the world.

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Despite this, the sole controller working at the time did not see the ship when he scanned the area before clearing the aircraft to land.

“The contrast in lighting around Canada Place (areas of shadow and bright sunlight) may have reduced his ability to discern the vessel,” the report reads. “It is also possible that the stern of the large cruise ship moored at Canada Place obscured his view.”

Today, on the busiest days of the summer, the control tower is typically staffed by four controllers, according to Harbor Air.

Hanna, who has flown seaplanes in and out of Vancouver Harbour “thousands of times”, believes today’s controllers are experienced and well-trained.

For ships and other marine vessels (including seaplanes until they take off), collision regulations clearly state “when there’s something to your right, you give way,” Hannah said.

The private, non-profit company is “responsible for the safe coordination and efficient operation of aircraft … including flight paths and airways used by airlines,” according to Navigation Canada’s website.

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Vanessa Adams, manager of government and media relations for Navigation Canada, declined to answer Postmedia questions on Sunday about how traffic is managed between ships and seaplanes in the port, instead referring all questions to the Transportation Safety Board.

A spokesman for the Transportation Safety Board of Canada said it was “too early to determine the cause and contributing factors of the accident,” but investigators were on scene Sunday and began interviewing witnesses.

The spokesman said the wrecked ship and plane had been salvaged.

The only collision involving a boat and a seaplane in the database occurred in 2021 in B.C. Air Tofino plane collides with water taxi In Tofino Harbor.

Within two and a half minutes of the collision, the seaplane “turned over, with only its pontoons afloat.” The report states.

The five passengers and the pilot escaped safely from the aircraft. All six people, as well as a passenger on the water taxi, sustained minor injuries.

A TSA spokesman said investigators will “examine the wreckage, continue to gather information and conduct additional interviews” in the coming days.

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At this time, there is no timeline for the release of reports on Saturday’s collision.

With documents provided by Doug Quan and Tiffany Craword

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