Be Prepared!

Some time back, a student of ours, who was also an Airworthiness Inspector with Transport Canada, brought in a letter written by a pilot who experienced a near-fatal flying accident during a mountain flight in the summer of 1997.  Copies of the letter were made and distributed to the class, and the effect on those of us reading it was dramatic to say the least.  So the lessons learned by this pilot can be passed on to newer generations of pilots, the letter is included below.  The writing is unedited, and appears as it was written.  As the author writes, if the letter stops any one of us from repeating the mistakes that were made, the experience will have at least some worthwhile benefit.

There are many messages or lessons to derive from this, but perhaps the most important is to be prepared to go down, especially in the mountains.  While the author demonstrates preparedness in many respects—equipment taken on board the aircraft, the use of flight planning, etc.—strong criticism must be directed at the decision to press on in bad weather, and the decision to enter cloud as a desperate attempt to remedy the situation.  There is never a circumstance in flying where a VFR pilot must fly on into poor weather.  The loss of visual reference during a VFR flight is likely a case of poor planning, and is always associated with poor decision-making.  All pilots are trained to perform precautionary landings on unprepared landing surfaces, and by losing sight of ground, the author gave up this last resort.  Here, then, is the story:

ON THURSDAY 21ST OF AUGUST 1997, AFTER GETTING A WEATHER REPORT FROM WILLIAM’S LAKE FLIGHT SERVICES, I FILED A FLIGHT PLAN.  THE TRIP WAS MEANT TO TAKE US TO EDEN NORTH, ALBERTA, WHICH IS 45 KILOMETERS WEST OF EDMONTON.  I FILED MY ROUTE DIRECT TO EDSON, ALLOWING A STOPOVER THERE OF ONE HOUR AND THEN ON TO EDEN NORTH.  I HAD FULL FUEL ON BOARD (4 ½ HOURS), 2 PASSENGERS, CHRIS DANTON AND BENNO HEGGLIN AND MYSELF, STEVE RANDELL, THE PILOT.

WE HAD A MINIMAL AMOUNT OF BAGGAGE, INCLUDING OUR SKYDIVING GEAR, AS WE WERE HEADING FOR THE CANADIAN NATIONALS.  I HAD ESTIMATED THE PLANE’S GROSS WEIGHT AT 2630 LBS AND WAS WITHIN THE MAXIMUM WEIGHT LIMITS FOR THE CESSNA 182.  MY PLANE WAS CONFIGURED FOR SKYDIVERS, WHICH MEANS THERE IS ONLY A PILOT’S SEAT IN THE PLANE.  THE PASSENGERS SIT ON A HIGH DENSITY FOAM FLOOR MAT AND HAVE LEG STRAPS INSTALLED IN THE FLOOR TO SECURE THEM.  THE PASSENGER DOOR OPENS UP INTO THE WING.  THERE IS A BAR ATTACHED TO THE FLOOR AND INTO THE SOCKET WHERE THE SECOND CONTROL YOKE WOULD NORMALLY BE.  THE FRONT PASSENGER CAN COMFORTABLY LEAN BACK AGAINST THIS, FACING THE REAR OF THE PLANE.  THE SECOND PASSENGER SITS DIRECTLY BEHIND THE PILOT’S SEAT, ALSO FACING TO THE REAR OF THE PLANE.

WE WERE AIRBORNE BY 7:15 A.M., OPENED OUR FLIGHT PLAN IN THE AIR WITH WILLIAM’S LAKE AND STARTED OUR TRIP.  OUR ROUTE WOULD TAKE US DIRECTLY OVER CANIM LAKE, MAHOOD LAKE AND MYRTLE LAKE TO THE NORTH OF BLUE RIVER AND OVER THE ROCKIES TO EDSON.

OVER MYRTLE LAKE LAYERS OF CLOUD WERE MOVING AROUND AT ALL LEVELS OF FLIGHT BUT GAVE ME NO CONCERN AS THE GROUND WAS ALWAYS VERY VISIBLE.  COMING OVER THE NORTH THOMPSON WE WERE AT 6000 FEET ABOVE SEA LEVEL, THE CLOUDS WERE BROKEN AND SEEMED TO BE MOVING CONTINUALLY, WITH THE UPPER WINDS BEING IN THE 20 KNOT RANGE BLOWING FROM THE EAST.

I DECIDED TO CIRCLE BLUE RIVER AND “HANG TOUGH” FOR A FEW MINUTES TO SEE IF IT WOULD GET WORSE OR BETTER.  WE HAD THE TOWN OF BLUE RIVER AND THE RUNWAY IN FULL VIEW.  LOOKING SOUTH DOWN THE THOMPSON I HAD CLEAR VISION THROUGH THE LAYERS OF CLOUDS WITH A CEILING ABOVE ME OF ABOUT 1000 FEET, BUT WAS AWARE THAT THE VALLEY BOTTOM APPEARED TO BE “FOGGED IN” BUT FULL OF HOLES.

AT THIS POINT I DECIDED I WOULD FLY THE VFR ROUTE TO VALEMONT AND FOLLOW THE HIGHWAY THROUGH THE ROCKIES.  THERE WERE LOW CLOUD CELLS OVER THE HIGHWAY BUT THE ROAD WAS VERY OBVIOUS.  TEN TO FIFTEEN MINUTES NORTH OF BLUE RIVER, THE WAY AHEAD SEEMED TO BE CLOSING AND THE WEATHER SYSTEM BECOMING VERY ‘IFFY” VFR.

I TOLD CHRIS AND BENNO WE WOULD BE HEADING BACK TO KAMLOOPS.  I TRIED NOTIFYING FLIGHT SERVICES ON 126.7 TO INFORM THEM OF MY DECISION, BUT GOT NO RESPONSE.  I THEN DID A 180 DEGREE TURN.  I ENTERED GOTO CYKA (KAMLOOPS) INTO MY GPS TO GIVE US THE QUICKEST ROUTE.

THE ROAD BELOW WAS GETTING HARDER AND HARDER TO SEE AND IT BECAME APPARENT I WAS NOW FLYING BETWEEN SOME MAJOR CLOUD LAYERS.  WE CIRCLED IN THIS SPACE FOR TWENTY TO THIRTY MINUTES, OCCASIONALLY WE WOULD SPOT A TINY HOLE AND THE HIGHWAY WOULD BE MOMENTARILY VISIBLE.  ALL OTHER AVENUES WERE BLOCKED.

IT WAS OBVIOUS TO US THAT WE MUST BE CLOSE OR EVEN OVER BLUE RIVER.  WE KNEW THAT THESE CELLS WERE NOW CLOSING OVER AND THAT WE WOULD SHORTLY BE ENGULFED IN THEM.

I ASKED BENNO, WHO HAD THE VFR MAP IN HIS HAND, TO GIVE ME THE HIGHEST POINT TO THE WEST OF HIGHWAY 5.  THIS HE DID.  I HAD REALIZED THAT WE WERE GOING TO BE IN THE CLOUDS ANY SECOND AND HAD DECIDED THAT IF WE COULD FLY THE KAMLOOPS TRACK AT AROUND 8000 FEET ABOVE SEA LEVEL WE WOULD CLEAR ALL OBSTRUCTIONS.  I ALSO HAD IT IN MY MIND THAT THESE WERE MOVING CLOUD CELLS AND THAT IT WOULD NOT BE LONG BEFORE WE BROKE OUT OF THEM.

I TOLD CHRIS AND BENNO THAT WE WOULD BE FLYING IN THE CLOUDS, AND THAT I WAS NOT HAPPY ABOUT IT AT ALL.  TO ENTER CLOUDS WAS NOT MY CHOICE:  THEY CLOSED AROUND US AND I KNEW NOW THAT I WOULD HAVE TO  CONCENTRATE ON INSTRUMENTS.

I WAS CLIMBING AT 400 FEET PER MINUTE AT 110 MILES PER HOUR.  I WAS RELAXED AND IT SEEMED TO ME THAT THINGS WERE GOING WELL.  I KEPT THE WINGS LEVEL WITH THE ARTIFICIAL HORIZON AND KEPT SWEEPING THE OTHER GAUGES WITH MY EYES.  I WAS APPREHENSIVE, BUT CONVINCED MYSELF I COULD DO THIS.  I SHOULD MENTION THAT MY GPS IS A HANDHELD THAT I HAD MOUNTED MYSELF JUST HIGHER THAN THE TOP OF THE DASH.

WE HAD STARTED OUR CLIMB AT 6000 FEET AND WERE AT 7800 FEET ABOVE SEA LEVEL WHEN I THOUGHT I SHOULD CHECK THE TRACK AND BEARING TO KAMLOOPS ON THE GPS.  UP UNTIL THIS POINT I HAD REFUSED TO LET MYSELF LOOK OUT OF THE WINGSHIELD.

I LOOKED UP AT THE GPS AND AT THE SAME TIME LOOKED OUT OF THE WINDSHIELD.  I CAN’T TELL YOU WHAT I EXPECTED TO SEE, PROBABLY BLUE SKIES AND A HORIZON!  I BECAME VERY QUICKLY DISORIENTATED AND JUST WANTED THE PLANE TO STOP.

THE COMPASS WAS CONTINUALLY SPINNING EAST, AND I INFORMED BENNO AND CHRIS THAT I DIDN’T UNDERSTAND WHY I COULDN’T MAKE THE PLANE GO SOUTH.  I LOOKED AT MY AIRSPEED, IT WAS BELOW 30 MILES PER HOUR.  I KNEW WE WERE EnTERING A STALL, MAYBE A SPIN, I PUSHED THE NOSE DOWN.

I TOLD THE GUYS I HAD SCREWED UP AND THAT I WAS SORRY; I DID NOT EXPECT THAT WE COULD RECOVER FROM THIS, BEING IN SUCH DENSE CLOUDS WITH NO REFERENCE POINTS.  I STARED BACK AT THE INSTRUMENTS.  THE AIRSPEED WAS HORRENDOUS AND WE WERE DESCENDING BETWEEN THREE AND FOUR THOUSAND FEET A MINUTE.

I NOW REALIZED WE WERE IN A SPIRAL DIVE.  I GRABBED THE THROTTLE AND NEARLY PULLED IT OUT OF THE DASH.  I HAD NO IDEA IF WE WERE DESCENDING CLOCKWISE OR ANTI-CLOCKWISE.  I PUT BOTH FEET ON THE RUDDERS AND PULLED BACK ON THE YOKE.  WITHIN SECONDS EVERTHING WAS FLOATING IN THE PLANE.  IT FELT LIKE ALL OF US WERE ON THE CEILING WITH THE BAGGAGE.  WE ARE STILL IN THE CLOUDS.

IT SEEMED TO ME LIKE THERE WAS AN EXPLOSION AND THEN EVERYTHING WENT VERY PEACEFUL FOR A FEW SECONDS.  THE WINDSHIELD WAS GONE.  THE PILOT’S DOOR WAS GONE.  THE TOP OF THE DASH INCLUDING MY GPS WAS GONE.  OUR HEADSETS AND ANYTHING LOOSE WAS GONE.  MY SKYDIVING GEAR AND SOME BAGGAGE WAS GONE.  WE WERE STILL IN THE CLOUDS.

CHRIS AND BENNO WERE FIGHTING TO CLOSE THE JUMP DOOR.  THEY HAD TO USE MY CHEST STRAP TO LEVER IT IN.  IT WOULD NOT FIT.  IT WAS OBVIOUS THE PLANE WAS BENT.

I SHOUTED TO BENNO TO GIVE ME SOME SKYDIVING GOGGLES.  THE RAIN AND SNOW IN THE CLOUDS WERE STINGING MY EYES.  BENNO QUICKLY GOT THEM FROM HIS GEAR BAG AND PUT THEM OVER MY HEAD.  WE ARE STILL IN THE CLOUDS BUT THINGS SEEMED VERY PEACEFUL.  WE WERE DESCENDING AT 90 MILES AN HOUR.  I THINK BEING SKYDIVERS THAT THE DOOR AND WINDSHIELD BEING MISSING WERE IRRELEVANT TO US.  WE SPENT MOST WEEKENDS JUMPING FROM PLANES.

I REMEMBER WONDERING HOW CHRIS HAD REMAINED IN THE PLANE WHEN EVERTHING ELSE HAD GONE OUT THE DOOR.  I INFORMED THEM THAT WE WOULD PROBABLY HIT A MOUNTAIN ANYTIME NOW.

BENNO SAW A BRIGHT AREA TO MY LEFT AND I TURNED THE PLANE AS BEST I COULD.  NONE OF THE CONTROLS SEEMED TO BE RESPONDING WELL.  THE PLANE WAS IN A STEADY DESCENT, FULL POWER DID NOTHING TO CHANGE THINGS.  WE WERE GOING DOWN.  WE HAD BROKEN OUT OF THE CLOUDS IN THE MIDDLE OF A STEEP CANYON WHICH APPEARED TO HAVE NO EXIT.  THE CEILING WAS ABOUT 800 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL AND POURING RAIN.  I INFORMED BENNO AND CHRIS WE WERE GOING TO CRASH WITHIN MINUTES AND TO PREPARE THEMSELVES.

THERE WERE GLACIERS TO OUR RIGHT AND A MEADOW BELOW THEM NEARLY TWO MILES LONG.  A WHITE RIVER RAN THROUGH THE CENTRE OF THE VALLEY, WITH AREAS OF SPRUCE HERE AND THERE.  TO THE LEFT OF THE RIVER SEEMED TO BE ACRES OF WHAT SEEMED LIKE WILLOWS.  WHERE SHOULD I LAND?

IN THE BACK OF MY MIND I COULD HEAR LARRY AND THE GUYS AT SPRINGHOUSE TALKING ABOUT ALWAYS TAKING THE SMALL TREES.  I DECIDED ON THE SMALL TREES.  THE MEADOW WAS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE.  I SLOWED THE PLANE DOWN USING EACH NOTCH OF FLAPS AND WENT INTO THE CRASH SITE AT 40 DEGREE FLAPS AND AROUND 38 PER MILE AN HOUR AIRSPEED.  I TURNED THE FUEL OFF.

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MY HEAD HURTS.  THERE IS BLOOD RUNNING DOWN MY FACE AND NECK.  CHRIS IS KICKING AT THE PASSENGER DOOR.  FLAMES ARE COMING FROM UNDER THE COWLINGS AND DASH.  I AM TELLING EVERYONE TO GET THE HELL OUT.  CHRIS HAS KICKED THE DOOR OPEN ENOUGH TO GET OUT AND DRAGS SOME BAGGAGE OUT WITH HIM AROUND THE PILOT’S SIDE AND THEN GOT THE BAGGAGE AND SURVIVAL GEAR OUT.  I GRABBED THE FIRE EXTINGUISHER AND RELEASED IT INTO THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT; IT DID NOTHING.

I REALISED THAT THE PLANE WAS GOING TO BURN.  I PULLING THE KEYS FROM THE MAGNETO SWITCH AND TRIED TO OPEN THE BAGGAGE DOOR SO I COULD GET THE ELT1 OUT.  THE PLANE WAS BENT AROUND THE DOOR AND WOULDN’T OPEN.

THERE WAS A BIG ROCK CLOSE BY.  CHRIS WAS HERDING US BEHIND THE ROCK.  IT APPEARS HE HAD BAGGAGE HANGING ON HIM EVERYWHERE.  BENNO SEEMS DAZED AND CONFUSED.  HE IS BREATHING VERY POORLY AND HIS MOVEMENTS ARE SLOW.

WE CROUCH DOWN.  AT LEAST ONE OF THE FUEL TANKS BLOWS AND THE PLANE IS ENGULFED IN FLAMES.  THIS HAS ALL HAPPENED IN LESS THAN 4 MINUTES!  I AM CONCERNED THAT I DIDN’T GET THE ELECTRONIC LOCATION TRANSMITTER OUT.  THIS IS A WORRY FOR ME. 

IT IS ABOUT 9:30 A.M.  AND AT THIS POINT NO ONE HAS PANICKED.  CHRIS HAS MADE BENNO AND ME STAY PUT; HE HAS GONE TO THE RIVER TO FIND A CAMPSITE.  WE ARE IN THE BOTTOM OF 10-12 FOOT ALDER BRUSH AND CAN SEE NOTHING.  BENNO’S BACK IS CAUSING HIM MUCH PAIN BY NOW AND I AM BECOMING WEAK QUICKLY.  THERE IS BLOOD EVERYWHERE ON ME.

CHRIS HAS FOUND A SMALL GRAVEL BAR AND IS LEADING US TO IT.  HE TELLS BENNO TO SIT DOWN AND STAY THERE; THE RAIN IS RELENTLESS.  CHRIS DRAGS ME OVER TO THE RIVER, HE IS SHOUTING TO BENNO TO FIND THE FIRST AID KITS.  WE HAD TWO ON BOARD.  HE PULLS OFF MY T-SHIRT AND HOLDS MY HEAD ON THE SKULL.  HIS INDUSTRIAL FIRST AID KNOWLEDGE IS PRICELESS IN THIS SITUATION.  HE USES TENSION BANDAGES AND A COMPRESSION PACK TO BANDAGE MY HEAD UP.  HE THEN TELLS ME TO SIT WITH BENNO.  CHRIS ASSEMBLES THE TENT AND WE ALL SIT INSIDE.  SOAKING WET BUT OUT OF THE RAIN.

WE ARE NOT TALKING MUCH, HOPING FOR THE RAIN TO STOP.  I ASK CHRIS IF HE CAN GO BACK TO THE PLANE FOR THE ELT.  I DESCRIBE WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE AND WHERE IT IS LOCATED.  THERE WERE ALSO CHOCOLATE BARS, MAPS, ETC., THAT WERE LEFT IN THE PLANE AND MIGHT BE OKAY.  HE TAKES THE AXE AND BLAZES A TRAIL BACK TO THE PLANE.  HE RETURNS TO SAY THE PLANE IS COMPLETELY BURNT WITH JUST THE TAIL AND WINGTIPS LEFT.

THERE IS NOWHERE TO LIGHT A FIRE.  WE NEED HEAT DESPERATELY AS WE ARE ALL SOAKED TO THE SKIN.  WE SPEND TIME TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHERE WE ARE.  THE CONCENSUS IS THAT THE GLACIERS MUST BE ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE MOUTAINS AND THEREFORE WE ARE IN A EAST-WEST VALLEY.  WE DECIDE THAT THE THOMPSON RIVER MUST BE TEN MILES TO THE WEST OF US.  THERE IS NO LOGGING IN THIS VALLEY AS FAR AS WE CAN SEE.  CHRIS AND BENNO WANT TO KNOW ABOUT THE ELT.  I TOLD THEM THAT THREE MINUTES WASN’T LONG ENOUGH FOR THE SATELLITE TO PICK UP THE SIGNAL AND THAT IF WE HADN’T SEEN A PLANE BY THE NEXT MORNING THAT WE WERE PROBABLY ON OUR OWN.  AFTER READING THROUGH MY SURVIVAL GUIDE WE DESIGNATED CHRIS OUR LEADER AND FOLLOW HIS INSTRUCTIONS.

CROSSING THE RIVER AND GETTING TO A SMALL GROVE OF SPRUCE TREES WAS IMPERATIVE.  WE DECIDED TO DO THIS NOW AS WE WERE WET ANYWAY.  CHRIS MADE ONE MORE TRIP BACK TO THE PLANE TO CONFIRM THE ELT WAS BURNT.  HE CLEANED THE DEBRIS FROM THE WINGS AND SCRATCHED IN THE WING “THREE SURVIVORS, TWO INJURED.  HEADING DOWN THE VALLEY.

HE THREW STICKS INTO THE RIVER TO GAUGE ITS DEPTH THEN WITH BENNO AND HIMSELF AND AS MUCH OF OUR BAGGAGE AS THEY COULD CARRY THEY CROSSED THE FAST MOVING, ICE COLD, CHEST DEEP WATER AND DISAPPEARED FROM MY SIGHT.

BEFORE LEAVING ME IN THE TENT, CHRIS HAD TOLD ME TO SIT UPRIGHT AND BE AS STILL AS POSSIBLE.  I WAS STILL LOSING A LOT OF BLOOD.  HE GAVE ME 3 CUBES OF COOKING CHOCOLATE AND AN APPLE TO EAT.  DRINKING WATER WAS PLENTIFUL.

AFTER WHAT SEEMED LIKE A LOT OF TIME PASSING BY I HEARD CRIS SHOUTING.  HE HAD MISTAKENLY CROSSED THE RIVER IN THE WRONG PLACE.  IT WAS TOO DEEP FOR HIM AND HAD PULLED HIM UNDER.  I HAD TO CONVINCE HIM THAT HE HAD CROSSED FURTHER UP, WHICH HE THEN DID.  HE PACKED UP THE TENT AND THE TWO OF US MADE OUR WAY BACK ACROSS THE RIVER.

WHEN CHRIS HAD CROSSED WITH BENNO HE HAD CLIMBED TO A HIGH POINT TO BE ABLE TO SEE THE VALLEY AND TO SELECT THE CAMPSITE TO WHICH HE NOW TOOK ME.  BENNO HAD A GOOD FIRE GOING CONSIDERING ALL THE WOOD WAS SOAKING WET.  WE GOT OUT OF OUR WET CLOTHES AND DRIED OFF AS BEST WE COULD.  I GOT INTO A SLEEPING BAG AND INTO THE TENT WHERE I WAS WRAPPED IN A THERMAL SHEET.

THE RAIN HAD EASED OFF.  BENNO AND CHRIS USED THE REMAINING DAYLIGHT TIME TO GET EVERYTHING AS DRY AS POSSIBLE.  THEY ALSO MADE A MEAL OUT OF THE DRIED POWDERED FOOD IN THE SURVIVAL KIT.

AT DARK WE SAT BY THE FIRE AND I EXPLAINED HOW MUCH TIME WOULD GO BY ONCE MY FLIGHT PLAN WAS COMPLETED BEFORE ANYONE WOULD START LOOKING FOR US.  WE WERE CONCERNED WHAT OUR FAMILIES WOULD BE GOING THROUGH.  WE THEN WENT TO BED BUT NONE OF US WAS ABLE TO GET MUCH SLEEP MAKING THIS A VERY LONG NIGHT.

THE FACT THAT NO PLANES HAD GONE OVER IN THE AFTERNOON SURPRISED ME.  TOWARDS EVENING THE WEATHER HAD LIFTED AND VISIBILITY HAD IMPROVED.  THIS LED ME TO BELIEVE THAT THE ELT HAD NOT BEEN HEARD AND THAT WE SHOULD HAVE AN ALTERNATE PLAN.

THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH FIREWOOD AT OUR CAMPSITE TO HAVE A FIRE OF ANY SIZE.  SO WE DECIDED THAT IF NO PLANE HAD SHOWED UP WITHIN A FEW HOURS THAT MORNING AND WITH THE VERY LIMITED FOOD SUPPLIES WE HAD WE SHOULD START MAKING OUR WAY FURTHER DOWN THE VALLEY.

CHRIS KEPT THE FLARE GUN READY AT ALL TIMES.  WE DECIDED TO MOVE AT A VERY CASUAL PACE.  EVEN THOUGH IT WASN’T RAINING WALKING THROUGH THE MEADOWS AND BRUSH WAS INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT AND WE WERE ONCE AGAIN SOAKED TO THE SKIN.  CHRIS MADE A TRAIL AS BEST HE COULD.  WE HAD DECIDED TO WALK FOR 6 HOURS EACH DAY, SETTING UP CAMP BY MID AFTERNOON TO GIVE LOTS OF TIME TO DRY OUT OUR GEAR BY THE FIRE AND REPLENISH OUR ENERGIES.  THE TERRAIN WE WERE WALKING IN WAS OLD ORIGINAL GROWTH AND WAS ALMOST IMPASSABLE.  AT ONE TIME IN THE BRUSH WE HAD AN ANIMAL FOLLOWING US BUT AFTER SHOUTING AT IT, LEFT US ALONE.  THE HORSEFLIES, BUGS AND MOSQUITOS WERE UNBEARABLE.

AFTER TRAVELING WHAT SEARCH AND RESCUE LATER ESTIMATED TO BE 5 KILOMETERS WE STOPPED IN SOME SPRUCE TREES ABOVE A VERY STEEP PART OF THE CANYON.  CHRIS HAD KEPT US GOING BUT REALIZED AT EVERY STOP BENNO AND I WERE GETTING SLOWER AND SLOWER.  WE SHARED AN ORANGE HERE AND DEBATED WHETHER WE SHOULD MAKE CAMP.

SHORTLY AFTER WE COULD HEAR A SMALL PLANE ENGINE.  WE NEEDED TO HAVE A FLARE READY.  IT WAS A FLOAT PLANE AND IT DIDN’T SEEM SO FAR AWAY.  UNFORTUNATELY IT BANKED AWAY FROM US AND WAS GONE.  I THINK THIS WAS OUR FIRST DOWN MOMENT, REALIZING THAT THE ODDS OF BEING SPOTTED WERE SO SLIM.

WE KNOW NOW THAT THE PLANE BELONGED TO DICK MUNROE WHOSE PASSENGERS WERE OUR WIVES, LINDA AND KAREN AND FRIEND DENNIS WICK.

WITHIN A VERY SHORT TIME WE COULD HEAR ANOTHER PLANE.  IT WAS A SEARCH AND RESCUE BUFFALO.  IT STARTED UP THE VALLEY BUT TURNED AS CHRIS FIRED A FLARE RIGHT UNDER IT.  IT RETURNED CLOSER TO US AND CRIS FIRED OUR REMAINING FLARES ALL AROUND IT.  THERE WAS NO RESPONSE.  WE WERE DEPRESSED AND KNEW WE HAD TO HAVE A BIG FIRE.  THE PLANE NOT SEEING THE FLARES HAD TAKEN SOME OF THE SPIRIT OUT OF US.

WE NOW KNOW THAT THE FLARES WERE NEVER SEEN BY ANY OF THE CREW AND IN BRIGHT DAYLIGHT CONDITIONS THEY ARE RARELY SEEN.

THE PLANE WAS NOW COMING BACK FROM WEST TO EAST UP THE VALLEY.  CHRIS WAS SHOUTING FOR EVERYONE TO COLLECT THE LICHEN AND PILE IT WITH OTHER DRY STICKS UNDER A DRY, HAIR COVERED SPRUCE HE HAD PICKED.  THERE DIDN’T SEEM TO BE ENOUGH TIME.  I HAD BECOME USELESS TO THEM AS MY GOOD EYE WAS MOSTLY CLOSED FROM INSECT BITES, BUT CHRIS CONTINUED WITH HIS MISSION.

THE BUFFALO HAD TURNED AT THE END OF THE VALLEY AND WAS NOW HEADING BACK TOWARD US.  THE SUN WAS BEHIND IT AND WE COULDN’T SEE IT.  CHRIS HELD DOWN THE LOWER BRANCHES OF THE TREE WITH HIS ARMS; BENNO STUFFED ALL THE FIRE LIGHTING FUEL INTO THE BRANCHES AND LIT IT UP.  THE TREE WENT UP LIKE A ROMAN CANDLE FIREWORK.  WE THOUGHT WE WOULD HAVE TO RUN TO THE RIVER IN CASE THE REST OF THE FOREST WENT UP TOO.

WE STOPPED FOR A MOMENT TO WAVE OUR ARMS AT THE BUFFALO.  I WAS ALMOST CERTAIN HE HAD TURNED HIS LANDING LIGHTS ON AND OFF BUT THE PLANE CONTINUED OUT WEST OF THE VALLEY.

THIS LIFTED OUR SPIRITS.  WE WANTED TO BELIEVE WE HAD BEEN SPOTTED. CHRIS WASN’T SO SURE AND DECIDED WE SHOULD SET SOME MORE TREES ON FIRE TO MAKE SURE WE GOT THEIR ATTENTION.

IT SEEMED LIKE THE LONGEST TIME BUT WE COULD HEAR THE PLANE COMING FROM THE EAST AGAIN.  IT WAS VERY LOW.  IT’S UNDERCARRIAGE WAS DOWN AND THE PILOT WAS TURNING HIS LANDING LIGHTS ON AND OFF.  THEY DROPPED A SMOKE FLARE AND WINDDRIFT STREAMERS.

WE HAD BEEN SPOTTED.  WE HUGGED EACH OTHER AND EMOTIONS RAN HIGH.

THE BUFFALO CONTINUED DESCENDING AND WITHIN A SHORT TIME WE COULD HEAR THE LABRADOR RESCUE CHOPPER COMING.  THEY HAD A A TOUGH TIME FINDING A SAFE SPOT TO HOVER.  THE PILOT EVENTUALLY FOUND A SMALL GRASSY AREA BY THE RIVER WHERE HE HELD THE AIRCRAFT IN A HOVER SITUATION 30 FEET ABOVE THE RIVER WITH HIS BLADES MISSING THE TREES FOR AT LEAST TWENTY-FIVE MINUTES.

WE STARTED MAKING OUR WAY TOWARDS THE CHOPPER, CHRIS REALIZED THAT I HAS HAVING TROUBLE SEEING WHERE I WAS GOING SO HE AND A SEARCH AND RESCUE SERGEANT CAME BACK UP THE HILL TO HELP ME TO THE CHOPPER.  THEY WINCHED US UP INTO THE HELICOPTER, GAVE US A HUG AND TOLD US IT WAS AS EXCITING FOR THEM TO HAVE SURVIVORS AS IT WAS FOR US TO BE RESCUED.

THEY TOOK US TO BLUE RIVER WHERE WE WERE TRANSFERRED TO A BUFFALO PLANE AND FLOWN TO KAMLOOPS HOSPITAL.

AT BLUE RIVER, ONE OF THE EMPLOYEES AT NORTHERN AIR ASKED ME IF I WOULD BE BUYING A LOTTO TICKET AS WE WERE SO LUCKY.  MY REPLY TO HIM WAS NO, AS WE HAD JUST WON THE LOTTERY!

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IN SUMMARY, SAAR HAD SEEN THE WRECKAGE ON THEIR WEST-EAST PASS UP THE VALLEY AND HAD WRITTEN IN THEIR LOG, “PLANE BURNED; MOST PROBABLY THREE CRISPIES IN IT.”  IF THEY HADN’T SEEN THE FIRE AND SMOKE THEY WERE GOING TO SEND A JUMPER IN TO CONFIRM IT.

ON MONDAY 25TH, WHILE TALKING TO THE TRANSPORT SAFETY BOARD, I WAS TOLD THEY HAD CO-ORDINATES FOR THE CRASH SITE FROM THE ELT.  A LADY PILOT ON A COMMERCIAL FLIGHT HAD CAUGHT THE SIGNAL FOR THE THREE MINUTES THAT IT RAN, BEFORE BURNING UP  (THIS COULD OR COULD NOT BE TRUE.)

THE SEARCH AND RESCUE CREWS ON THE AIRPLANE WERE PROFESSIONAL IN THEIR JOBS BUT SHOWED FEELING TOWARD THE SURVIVORS.  WE CAN ONLY OFFER THEM PRAISE FOR THEIR EFFORTS.

THE REASON FOR TELLING THIS STORY IS TO INFORM ALL THOSE INTERESTED IN THE TRUTH AND HOPEFULLY IT WILL STICK IN THE MINDS OF ANY PILOT OR CREW WHO IS TEMPTED INTO SIMILAR SITUATIONS.  IF IT STOPS ONE OF YOU FROM MAKING THE MISTAKES THAT I MADE THEN THIS HAS BEEN WORTHWILE.

1 ELT stands for Emergency Locator Transmitter.