. VANCOUVER — The decision to continue flying despite bad weather is being blamed for a fatal plane crash off the B.C. coast in 2019.A report issued Wednesday by the federal Transportation Safety Board outlined the findings of an investigation into the crash on Addenbroke Island.
The Cessna 208 Caravan floatplane left Richmond, B.C., on the morning of July 26, 2019. One pilot and eight passengers were on board the flight bound for a popular fishing lodge near Port Hardy, off the northeastern end of Vancouver Island. About 90 minutes after takeoff, the plane crashed into a hillside on the island. The Seair Seaplanes pilot and three passengers died of their injuries.Four of the other passengers had serious injuries, and one passenger’s injuries were described as minor. They were rescued by the Air Force.
The plane was destroyed in the crash.
In its report, the TSB wrote that the pilot chose to leave the airport that morning despite forecast conditions near the fishing lodge that were below the requirements for the flight.“After encountering poor weather conditions, the pilot continued the flight in reduced visibility, without recognizing the proximity to terrain, and subsequently impacted the rising terrain of Addenbroke Island,” the report said
The plane was equipped with advanced avionics devices, the TSB said, but they were set up in a way that “made the system ineffective at alerting the pilot of the rising terrain ahead.”
And according to the TSB, the pilot was likely experiencing some level of fatigue, though the report did not say how investigators came to that conclusion. Additionally, the TSB wrote, Seair had not established a flight data monitoring program, despite having the necessary equipment on the aircraft involved. The TSB says this type of program can help operators detect safety issues before an accident occurs.
The company wasn’t required to, and Transport Canada didn’t conduct any surveillance or targeted inspections.
Source: ctvnews.ca
Wednesday, April 29, 2026
