bstratt
Cleared for Takeoff
Cessna was overloaded, board says
Ice, pilot fatigue also contributed to crash that killed 10 off Pelee Island in 2004
Canadian Press
WINDSOR, ONT. — A plane that plunged into the icy waters of Lake Erie off Pelee Island, killing 10, was significantly overloaded and hindered by ice, the Transportation Safety Board said in a final report that also criticized the pilot.
The 62-page report into Georgian Express Flight 126 said the Cessna aircraft was overburdened by at least 15 per cent and its surfaces were laden with ice when it crashed two years ago.
Two passengers pointed out ice on the wing to pilot Wayne Price, but he proceeded with the flight, said the report, released yesterday.
"The pilot made a number of decisions that increased the risk to the safe operation of the flight," the board said, adding that there was no indication the pilot was a risk-taker. "The pilot's assessment of risk was likely degraded by some combination of stress and fatigue."
Given his schedule, the report said Mr. Price would have had only a maximum of five hours of sleep the night before he was to fly.
Safety board chairwoman Wendy Tadros said stress was likely compounded by "a short turnaround time on flights, excessive passenger load, weather conditions, the lack of de-icing tools on Pelee Island and the need to complete the flight for passengers."
The plane crashed Jan. 17, 2004, killing eight Ontario hunters, the 33-year-old Mr. Price, of Richmond Hill, Ont., and his girlfriend, Jamie Levine, 28, of Los Angeles.
The initial investigation found that the plane was overweight by 576 kilograms -- roughly 13 per cent more than the Cessna's maximum capacity in icy conditions.
Investigator-in-charge Denis Rivard said the ice that accumulated on the plane added an extra 127 kilograms.
Relatives of the victims have filed several multimillion-dollar lawsuits targeting the pilot, airline and Township of Pelee.
Two civil suits allege that Mr. Price, Georgian Express Ltd., and the township did not take steps to ensure the craft wasn't overweight or coated with ice.
None of the allegations have been proven in court.
Larry Janik, 48, of Kingsville, Ont.; Ronald Spencler, 53, and Walter Sadowski, 48, of Windsor, Ont.; and brothers Tom Reeve, 49 and Ted Reeve, 53, of Chatham, Ont., were among eight area hunters and several dogs that piled into the plane on their way back from a pheasant-shooting trip.
Their relatives filed a joint $55.4-million lawsuit last year naming Georgian Express, the township, Mr. Price's estate and the Owen Sound Transportation Co., which operates the Pelee Island Transportation Service on behalf of Ontario's Transportation Ministry.
Another $1.25-million suit was launched last year by the widow and three children of Fred Freitas, 38, of Kingsville, Ont.
The Freitases' suit names Georgian Express, the township, Mr. Price's estate and the Cessna Aircraft Co., which built the plane.
The family of another victim, Bob Brisco, 46, of Chatham, Ont., filed a $6-million lawsuit in January naming 11 defendants, including Georgian Express.
Also killed in the crash was hunter Jim Allen, 51, of Mitchell's Bay, Ont.
Ice, pilot fatigue also contributed to crash that killed 10 off Pelee Island in 2004
Canadian Press
WINDSOR, ONT. — A plane that plunged into the icy waters of Lake Erie off Pelee Island, killing 10, was significantly overloaded and hindered by ice, the Transportation Safety Board said in a final report that also criticized the pilot.
The 62-page report into Georgian Express Flight 126 said the Cessna aircraft was overburdened by at least 15 per cent and its surfaces were laden with ice when it crashed two years ago.
Two passengers pointed out ice on the wing to pilot Wayne Price, but he proceeded with the flight, said the report, released yesterday.
"The pilot made a number of decisions that increased the risk to the safe operation of the flight," the board said, adding that there was no indication the pilot was a risk-taker. "The pilot's assessment of risk was likely degraded by some combination of stress and fatigue."
Given his schedule, the report said Mr. Price would have had only a maximum of five hours of sleep the night before he was to fly.
Safety board chairwoman Wendy Tadros said stress was likely compounded by "a short turnaround time on flights, excessive passenger load, weather conditions, the lack of de-icing tools on Pelee Island and the need to complete the flight for passengers."
The plane crashed Jan. 17, 2004, killing eight Ontario hunters, the 33-year-old Mr. Price, of Richmond Hill, Ont., and his girlfriend, Jamie Levine, 28, of Los Angeles.
The initial investigation found that the plane was overweight by 576 kilograms -- roughly 13 per cent more than the Cessna's maximum capacity in icy conditions.
Investigator-in-charge Denis Rivard said the ice that accumulated on the plane added an extra 127 kilograms.
Relatives of the victims have filed several multimillion-dollar lawsuits targeting the pilot, airline and Township of Pelee.
Two civil suits allege that Mr. Price, Georgian Express Ltd., and the township did not take steps to ensure the craft wasn't overweight or coated with ice.
None of the allegations have been proven in court.
Larry Janik, 48, of Kingsville, Ont.; Ronald Spencler, 53, and Walter Sadowski, 48, of Windsor, Ont.; and brothers Tom Reeve, 49 and Ted Reeve, 53, of Chatham, Ont., were among eight area hunters and several dogs that piled into the plane on their way back from a pheasant-shooting trip.
Their relatives filed a joint $55.4-million lawsuit last year naming Georgian Express, the township, Mr. Price's estate and the Owen Sound Transportation Co., which operates the Pelee Island Transportation Service on behalf of Ontario's Transportation Ministry.
Another $1.25-million suit was launched last year by the widow and three children of Fred Freitas, 38, of Kingsville, Ont.
The Freitases' suit names Georgian Express, the township, Mr. Price's estate and the Cessna Aircraft Co., which built the plane.
The family of another victim, Bob Brisco, 46, of Chatham, Ont., filed a $6-million lawsuit in January naming 11 defendants, including Georgian Express.
Also killed in the crash was hunter Jim Allen, 51, of Mitchell's Bay, Ont.
