Date & Time:
Sep 20, 1973
Type of aircraft:
Grumman S-2 Tracker
Operator:
Registration:
12170
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Sandspit - Patricia Bay
MSN:
DH69
YOM:
1960
Flight number:
Service 21
Country:
Canada
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
4
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
4
Captain / Total hours on type:
1410
Circumstances:
The airplane was dispatched in a SAR mission under callsign Service 21, searching for a missing Stinson 108. The crew departed Sandspit Airport at 1026LT with a routing via Terrace, Prince Rupert, Hazleton and Smithers before returning to Patricia Bay. At the end of the afternoon, while cruising in marginal weather conditions in a valley, the airplane contacted trees and crashed in a dense wooded area located near the Telkwa Pass, southwest of the city of Telkwa. The airplane disintegrated on impact and all four crew members were killed.
Crew:
Cpt L. T. Schaufele, pilot,
Cpt E. R. Bade, copilot,
Cpl J. R. J. Scammel,
Sgt S. W. Pye.
Crew:
Cpt L. T. Schaufele, pilot,
Cpt E. R. Bade, copilot,
Cpl J. R. J. Scammel,
Sgt S. W. Pye.
Probable cause:
The Board assessed the cause of the accident to:
Personnel - Pilot - Judgement.
When faced with a choice of continuing with a mission in unfamiliar mountainous terrain and uncertain VFR weather conditions, or discontinuing the mission when these flight conditions were encountered, he chose to continue and placed himself in a flight condition from which the chances of recovery were Significantly reduced. The motivation to continue with the mission and accept flight conditions below that which would normally be accepted given the same area and a different task is increased when personnel get involved in SAR and the possibility of saving life.
Environment - Weather/Terrain.
The combination of mountainous terrain and uncertain VFR weather conditions produced a marginal flight condition for the mission being performed.
Personnel - Pilot - Judgement.
When faced with a choice of continuing with a mission in unfamiliar mountainous terrain and uncertain VFR weather conditions, or discontinuing the mission when these flight conditions were encountered, he chose to continue and placed himself in a flight condition from which the chances of recovery were Significantly reduced. The motivation to continue with the mission and accept flight conditions below that which would normally be accepted given the same area and a different task is increased when personnel get involved in SAR and the possibility of saving life.
Environment - Weather/Terrain.
The combination of mountainous terrain and uncertain VFR weather conditions produced a marginal flight condition for the mission being performed.
Final Report:
12170.pdf1.28 MB
