the Page As - Terrace Standard, Wey, sanwary 16, 4981 Crash TERRACE — Poot judgement “was used by the crew of a passenger aircraft which crash- “ed hete Sept. 28, 1989, killing all seven on board; concludes a. federal investigation. The . Transportation . Safety. Board (TSB) report says the two-member : crew beyond” the point at which it should have spotted the runway before descending to land. ‘It then began circling the air- port. for another approach but’ became disoriented: in fog and. smoke ~~ from a‘nearby slash fire, the o . report says.” -two pilots ~ ‘And when the crew thought they ‘were climbing, the aircraft in. “reality was heading downward, ‘it adds. Killed inthe crash and subse- ; ‘quent fire just off Beam Station. - Road one half mile from the air- port were pilot Craig Ashe, co- pilot Paul: Aikenhead and five passengers. . The report was also critical of Skylink : operating: ‘procedures and. critical of Transport Canada regulations for making what'.is. called missed ap- proaches. | A missed apprasch, is the term. for ‘an aircraft-crew abor- ting “a “Janding when its crew cannot see the runway. | “tsa particularly important procedure - -during bad or deterioriatitig: weather such ‘as that. which existed over the air- port the moming of the crash. ~ The report cited a number of what jit-called incorrect or inap- propriate actions and. -pro- cedures on the part of the crew. of the. Skylink“ Airlines aircraft flew’ . “judgement report | They included an incomplete briefing during the initial ap- proach, the failure to rebrief for the second approach and an in- correct missed “approach pro- cedure, “AH the above are indica- tions that not.only was the crew training: inadequate but that on- going supervision of the crew’s | " performance \.. Was. ‘also defi- Gient,”’ says the report. It says the crew used flawed ‘in not ‘taking important were in effect, " it. says. . Standard operating pro- cedures, they are not required by Transport Canada, are also in airlines where there is ahigh turnover of pilots and supervisors, it.continues, “SOPs: (standard operation procedures) are used extensively by most major air carriers on a - voluntary. basis because. they - feel that this document is a necessary part of a safe and. consistent operation. The need The report ties the actions and decisions of the . crew to what it called inadequate training and | - supervision onthe part of Skylink Airlines and pro- cedures of Transport Canada, ihe regulatory body for airlines. preparations for a missed ap- proach procedure because of ‘deteriorating weather condi- - tions during the flight. The report ties the actions and decisions of the crew to what it called inadequate train- ing and supervision on the part of Skylink Airlines and pro- cedures of Transport Canada, the regulatory body for airlines. Skylink Airlines did not have written down standard operating procedures common with miajor’ passenger airlines, the report says. ; - “The absence of of written procedures would be conducive to the use of different pro- cedures by company pilots and, as. was indicated during inter- views with company pilots, con- fusion as to what procedures for ‘such a ‘document on the smaller carriers is no less impor- tant,”’ the report says. . . And although Transport Canada publishes regulations for circling to make a landing approach, the TSB report says the wording is too vague on. what pilots should be required to see on the ground before descending to land when com- pared to international and American standards. “The ‘TSB believes that the - ambiguous nature of the current definition of “required visual references” ... are deficient in that they allow the interpreta- tion that any visual contact ... could be deemed as acceptable ... even if visual contact with the runway has not been achiev- GEMMA BED & BATH AND GEMMA KITCHEN BOUTIQUE PRDEWALK SALE | Friday Saturday. Sk ge tie past, dee Mechta ets bani. ed, ” the repoit says. ‘The report also says Skyliik | was. allowed to operate the Metroliner aircraft which crash- - ed under small’ aircraft “guidelines ‘when ‘it. should have been | operating under - regula- tions for larger aircraft. Those small aircraft guidelines don’t require the in- creased training and : supervision as do ones applicable: to larger aircraft, . - TSB. investigator < Roger. _Ayotte described the aircraft . flying into the ground as consis- tent with pilot disorientation | which ‘occurs wher, they can't see the ground, yee “Essentially you're fooled by the senses in your head, Every pilot, including myself, has been disoriented. The human body is designed to walk on the earth. That’s the mechanism to . orient yourself. Yet when you're in an aircraft, it’s..a whole different ball game,” he said. “The trick is to ignore what - your body is telling you and rely solely on the instruments in the aircraft,’’ Ayotte continued. Anything else, said Ayotte, is - “seat of your pants flying.” -TSB recommeéndations to. Transport Canada‘ to tighten training and supervision, re- quire all passenger carriers to have standard operating pro- ’ cedures and to better define visual requirements before lan- ding don’t carry any legislative weight.’ Transport Canada must, however, tell the TSB what it in- tends to do about the recom- mendations. THE CRASH OF Skylink Airlines Flight 070 in September 1989 ieft wreckage over a considerable area near the airport, A report on the incident says the pilots used poor judgement but also states the ” - airline and Transport Canada could have been more diligent about. - procedures and regulations.