Latest news with #floatplane
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
4 injured after small float plane 'crash landed' at Katmai National Park
Authorities are investigating the crash of a small float plane in Alaska's Katmai National Park and Preserve over the weekend that sent all four occupants, including the pilot, to the hospital. The small float plane, a Cessna 180J, "crash landed" at about 2:30 p.m. local time on July 5 near Brooks Camp within Katmai National Park, according to the National Park Service. Four occupants, including the pilot, were transported to an Anchorage area hospital with non-critical injuries, the park service said. Katmai National Park, a campground popular during the peak brown bear viewing season, is only accessible via small plane. National Transportation Safety Board's Alaska Chief Clint Johnson told Anchorage Daily News the agency was alerted of a crash "with four people on board reporting serious injuries," with park officials dispatching a helicopter from Anchorage to conduct the rescue. The aircraft, which can seat up to five passengers and a pilot, is privately owned, according to the Alaskan newspaper. As of July 7, the cause of the crash is unknown. The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are leading the investigation, Alaska's News Source reported. The FAA and NTSB did not immediately respond to USA TODAY's request for comment. Katmai National Park and Preserve is set along the northern Alaska Peninsula, most famously known for its fat bears and unique ecosystem. As one of the most remote national parks in the U.S., Katmai has no roads connecting it to the rest of Alaska, requiring travelers to take either a water taxi or float plane. The incident over the holiday weekend was the latest in a recent string of crashes involving small planes, many of which were fatal. In late June, a twin-engine Cessna 441 went down in the backyard of a home in Ohio, killing all six people onboard. Earlier in the month, six people died when a twin-engine Cessna 414 crashed offshore San Diego just minutes after takeoff. In North Carolina, a small aircraft, a Universal Stinson 108 plane, crashed in Farmington as the pilot tried to avoid a turtle on the runway just before the crash. The pilot and a passenger were killed while another passenger was seriously injured. Contributing: Jeanine Santucci and Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA TODAY This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Small plane crashed in remote park in Alaska: National Park Service
CTV News
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Northern Ont. author releases novella of ‘rediscovery'
Northern Ontario author Susan Allen talks with Tony Ryma about her new novel 'Loon Country.' A northern Ontario author has penned a new book she describes as a novella of rediscovery. Susan Allen of Espanola said Loon Country follows a couple of empty nesters who embark on a camping trip to a lake north of Sudbury. A story of rediscovery Loon Country A stock image of the cover of Susan Allen's third novel, 'Loon Country.' (Amazon) 'It is to fulfill a dream the male character, Matthew McNeice, had since his teenage years,' Allen said. 'A dream to explore the quartzite wall and the shadows buried deep within it.' Allen told CTV News the story follows Matthew and his wife, Lauren McNeice, on a journey of discovery and rediscovery. She said her own experiences with her husband, including their time owning a float plane, inspired the novel. 'We did some prospecting. We flew over a small lake that was too small to land,' she said. 'And the way the sunlight was reflecting off the cliff on the one side just got my imagination working.' Allen said they found quartz and other minerals during their travels but often wondered if something more lay hidden within the illuminated cliff wall. Writing for a long time, process getting easier The author, who has been writing since age 10, said inspiration can come from anywhere – whether a poem, a short story or a fleeting moment in nature. 'I am blessed that I have had some of my past work published in the past. I let my imagination run wild based on some of my life experiences,' said Allen. The Espanola native said Loon Country is her third book and that the writing process becomes smoother with each project. 'The expressions and the words come faster,' she said. Allen self-published the novella through Amazon, where it is available in e-book and paperback formats.
CTV News
08-06-2025
- General
- CTV News
Five taken to hospital in northwest Ont. float plane crash
Canada's Transportation Safety Board is investigating after a float plane operated by a remote northern Ont. fly-in fishing outfitter crashed, sending five people to hospital. Emergency crews were called to Pickerel Drive in Red Lake, Ont., shortly before 7 a.m. Sunday, Ontario Provincial Police said in a news release. 'Two individuals were seriously injured and three sustained minor injuries,' police said. 'All individuals have been transported to hospital by EMS (emergency medical services) to be treated for their injuries.' OPP Const. Autumn Eadie told CTV News in an email, the plane crashed into Balmer Creek shortly after takeoff. The crash involves a remote fly-in fishing outfitter, Hugo Fontaine, a spokesperson for the Transportation Safety Board, told in an email Monday morning. 'A De Havilland DHC-2 Beaver aircraft operated by Canadian Fly-In Fishing (Red Lake) Limited collided with terrain during takeoff from Red Lake, Ont., Sunday morning,' Fontaine said. 'We are deploying two investigators to gather data and assess the occurrence and they should arrive onsite at some point today (Monday). That's all the information we can share at this time.' CTV News reached out to the operator for comment and is awaiting a response. The owner of another northern Ontario outfitter with a similar name, Canadian Fly-In Outposts in Emo, said he has been getting calls all morning about the crash, but said it wasn't his company or plane that was involved. Air transportation 'accidents' were up 10 per cent in 2023 over the previous year with a total of 182, the Transportation Safety Board said in its annual report. 'Nineteen of these were fatal, resulting in 33 fatalities, which is down slightly from the 24 fatal accidents and 34 fatalities in 2022,' the report said. 'Overall, the number of air transportation accidents has been decreasing in the last decade.'
CTV News
08-06-2025
- General
- CTV News
No injuries after plane does a hard landing on Lake Temiskaming, Ont.
It was a minor miracle late Friday morning when two people were unhurt after their float plane landed hard on Lake Temiskaming. Two people emerged unhurt after a float plane had a hard landing late Friday morning on Lake Temiskaming. Police said the plane was travelling from the French River when the incident occurred around 11:50 a.m. Drone 1 Drone footage of a float plane that crash landed on Lake Temiskaming late Friday morning. (Photo courtesy of Darshan Shah) The plane landed hard on the water and flipped over. But the pilot and the passenger were able to get out and were not injured. 'It's a miracle,' Ontario Provincial Police Const. Siobhan Christo told CTV News in a phone interview. People who were passing nearby witnessed the event and immediately called police. Eric Taschner of CTV News was on the scene and sent a photo of the plane with only the tail visible. Christo said the Transportation Safety Board of Canada, which investigate plane crashes in Canada, will be taking over the investigation. A message to the safety board from CTV News seeking further information has not yet been returned.
CTV News
08-06-2025
- General
- CTV News
Overweight vintage plane crashes after stall in Red Lake; one killed: report
A De Havilland DHC-2 Beaver floatplane crashed shortly after takeoff from the Chukuni River on June 16, 2024. The plane crashed from about 80-feet above the water nose-down into the shoreline at 6:55 a.m. (Transportation Safety Board of Canada) A De Havilland DHC-2 Beaver floatplane operated by Canadian Fly-in Fishing (Red Lake) Ltd. crashed shortly after takeoff from the Chukuni River on the morning of June 16, 2024, resulting in one fatality and leaving another passenger seriously injured. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada has investigated the accident, which highlights ongoing concerns about stall-related risks in older DHC-2 aircraft. Plane wreckage found near Kamloops A De Havilland DHC-2 Beaver floatplane crashed shortly after takeoff from the Chukuni River on the morning of June 16, 2024, resulting in one fatality and leaving another passenger seriously injured. The Transportation Safety Board (TSB) has completed its initial investigation. Signage is pictured outside TSB offices in Ottawa on May 1, 2023. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick) The flight The aircraft, registration C-GBZH, was departing the Chukuni River, approximately 2.2 nautical miles southeast of Red Lake's Howey Bay Water Aerodrome, en route to Thicketwood Lake. At approximately 6:53 a.m., the pilot and four passengers took off under visual flight rules with winds reported from the south. June 16, 2024 - Beaver floatplane flight path A De Havilland DHC-2 Beaver floatplane crashed shortly after takeoff from the Chukuni River on June 16, 2024. This image illustrates the flight take-off route to the accident site. (Transportation Safety Board of Canada | Map Image sourced from Google Maps) The takeoff proceeded normally, with flaps set to takeoff and the aircraft lifting off about 2,500 feet downriver. After reaching 80 mph, the pilot initiated a climb, reducing engine power and retracting the flaps to climb position. However, the aircraft began descending, with airspeed dropping to 60 mph. The pilot applied full power and pushed forward on the control yoke, but the aircraft failed to regain speed. A right turn into the wind was attempted, but at 80 feet above the water, the plane entered an aerodynamic stall, rolling right before crashing nose-down into the shoreline at 6:55 a.m. June 16, 2024 - Northwestern Plane Crash A De Havilland DHC-2 Beaver floatplane crashed shortly after takeoff from the Chukuni River on June 16, 2024. The plane crashed from about 80-feet above the water nose-down into the shoreline at 6:55 a.m. (Transportation Safety Board of Canada) The aircraft was substantially damaged, though no post-impact fire occurred. The emergency locator transmitter activated, and all occupants – partially submerged – were assisted out by the pilot and area residents. Two rear-seat passengers suffered serious injuries and were airlifted to Thunder Bay hospital, where one later died. The pilot and two other passengers were medically evaluated and released. The investigation The investigation determined the aircraft was 334 pounds over its maximum allowable takeoff weight (5,090 lbs) due to an unaccounted passenger weight discrepancy. The operator had calculated the load using an average from a group weigh-in, but one passenger's significantly higher weight was not adjusted for. While the aircraft was approved for an increased maximum weight of 5,370 lbs under a supplemental type certificate – but, this required additional fuel in wingtip tanks; which were empty at the time of the crash. Aerodynamic stall risk The Beaver lacked a stall warning system, a known risk factor in previous accidents. Since 1998, the Transportation Safety Board has investigated 23 DHC-2 stall-related crashes, resulting in 47 fatalities. In 2017, the board recommended Transport Canada mandate stall warning systems for commercial DHC-2s, but the agency declined, stating that even with a warning system, 'a stall occurs and gives the pilot little to no time to react and recover.' The safety board disagrees, maintaining that such systems improve situational awareness and reduce stall risks. De Havilland had issued a 2014 technical bulletin recommending the installation of an improved stall warning system, but adoption remains voluntary. De Havilland DHC-2 Beaver An undated photo of a De Havilland DHC-2 Beaver floatplane. (Image courtesy of Canada Aviation and Space Museum) Aircraft and pilot factors The 1953-built aircraft had 13,590 flight hours and no recorded mechanical defects. It met regulatory standards, though rear seats lacked shoulder harnesses – a design permitted at the time of manufacture. The pilot, who held a commercial licence with a seaplane rating, had 1,773 total flight hours, including 816 on the DHC-2. No medical or performance issues were identified. Ongoing safety concerns The Transportation Safety Board has classified Transport Canda's response to its 2017 stall warning recommendation as 'unsatisfactory.' In its 2022 assessment, the Board reiterated that without regulatory action, 'the risks associated with the safety deficiency… will remain.' This crash underscores longstanding concerns about DHC-2 stall susceptibility, particularly in overweight or high-workload conditions. The final report may lead to renewed calls for enhanced safety measures in vintage aircraft still widely used in Canadian bush operations. The investigation report can be viewed here.
