Emergency Divert Question

[JeffDG]

OK...I have a question for you...(pure hypothetical)

Flight from KMSP to PANC. Somewhere over Saskatchewan, smoke is detected in the cabin, and the PIC of course decides to get the plane on the ground and diverts to Saskatoon (CYXE).

All of that is nicely covered under the regs and such. But here's the kicker. When the flight goes to resume it's trip to Anchorage, very few of the passengers are carrying their passports. They were on a domestic flight, and as such did not require them. But now, having landed in Saskatoon, you require a passport in order to enter the United States.

What happens?

 

[Geico266]

It is still a domestic flight.

A bigger issue would be the Canadian immigration laws. If you have a DUI here in the states or a felony on your record it is illegal to enter Canada without expressed written permission to do so. If they check the criminal data base and discover your past criminal record you could be in deep dodo and theoretically spending time in a Canadian jail or pay a fine for illegal entry. In all practicality though they would never do that though, it was an emergency and as such you would really not be entering into Canada, just stopping by for repairs, and a few "eh's".

JMHO.

 

[Tom-D]

It is still a domestic flight.

A bigger issue would be the Canadian immigration laws. If you have a DUI here in the states or a felony on your record it is illegal to enter Canada without expressed written permission to do so. If they check the criminal data base and discover your past criminal record you could be in deep dodo and theoretically spending time in a Canadian jail or pay a fine for illegal entry. In all practicality though they would never do that though, it was an emergency and as such you would really not be entering into Canada, just stopping by for repairs, and a few "eh's".

JMHO.

When you are landing in Canada for an emergency, you and your pax will be held in Customs area and not considered to be entering Canada.

BTDT had to land at Prince Rupert, and wait weather, we simply hung out at Customs until we could leave.

 

[Greg Bockelman]

What Tom said.

 

[alaskaflyer]

This might amaze a few folks but despite folklore and rants both the DHS and the Canadian government have the ability to apply common sense.

If it extended beyond a period of time in which waiting in a customs clearing area was no longer reasonable there would be special dispensation.

We have patients transported unexpectedly to Ontario hospitals on occasion. They aren't trapped until their passport application is processed, I promise you.

 

[douglas393]

This might amaze a few folks but despite folklore and rants both the DHS and the Canadian government have the ability to apply common sense.

But do they want to?

 

[comanchepilot]

This might amaze a few folks but despite folklore and rants both the DHS and the Canadian government have the ability to apply common sense.

well, maybe the Canadian government . . . .

 

[clear_prop]

OK...I have a question for you...(pure hypothetical)

Flight from KMSP to PANC. Somewhere over Saskatchewan, smoke is detected in the cabin, and the PIC of course decides to get the plane on the ground and diverts to Saskatoon (CYXE).

All of that is nicely covered under the regs and such. But here's the kicker. When the flight goes to resume it's trip to Anchorage, very few of the passengers are carrying their passports. They were on a domestic flight, and as such did not require them. But now, having landed in Saskatoon, you require a passport in order to enter the United States.

What happens?

Another option is the fact that most major Canadian airports have US Customs, so in theory, the plane could dock at a gate in the US Terminal and technically the passengers are still in the US.

Where it gets real interesting is when the plane has to divert to a less friendly country, such as the bizjet that put down in Iran recently.

 

[TommyG]

Customs has access to every us passport with just a few clicks on computer. But the scenario you gave means nothing when getting to ANC, as long as you were manifested when you left MSP. If you are not a us citizen you need be be in possession of your documents to begin with, it's not just a law Arizona made up.