Cessna Caravan gets wet

Well it's not secret to any pilot in Canada wishing to climb the commercial ranks and fly for a living, that for many people, starting out means having to fly in some interesting locations usually in northern Canada.

Flying supplies and people into small remote little airstrips. A lot of the times, where air transportation is the only way in and out. I feel very fortunate to have been able to bypass this portion of the industry, and constantly aware of the type of sacrifices some have to make.

There was recently a Cessna Caravan which was trying to operate out of a short strip in a northern location. They were actually operating off of an Esker. Long story short, the aircraft was likely overloaded beyond it's means, and already operating out of a short strip (1400 ft), so with a bit of bad luck, this take off turned bad. Here are some shots of the take-off roll which just recently appeared on one of the aviation forums I frequent. (Click on the image for a larger picture)

On the takeoff roll

Attempting lift off

SPLASH

All were OK, so that's the most important thing. The plane was still in good shape though. Aside from the engine, so it will be recovered. I think it is still sitting in the marsh still. It will take quite a bit to get it recovered from such a remote location. I believe they will be using a large transport heavy lift helicopter which will cost many many many thousands of dollars to get the job done. Here's a picture of the plane after it came to rest:



This same aircraft has had a bit of a troubled past, most recently being operated by a now defunct Vancouver operator after it had engine problems and crashed while attempting an emergency landing near Port Alberni, killing the pilot and some passengers.

There will always be a need for these type of aircraft to operate in some pretty remote areas, I just continue to hope that people see these types of incidents and realize that maybe they shouldn't always push the limits of the airplane or themselves.