Why Weather Matters: A Lesson from a Fatal Plane Crash

A recent plane crash near Springbank Airport claimed six lives. The cause? A mix of bad weather and the pilot's decision to keep flying despite low visibility. The Transportation Safety Board (TSB) found that the pilot didn't get a proper weather briefing from NAV Canada before taking off. Instead, they relied on online forecasts and chatted about conditions with someone at the airport. The TSB says pilots should gather as much weather info as possible and change their flight plan if needed. But in this case, the pilot's limited understanding of the weather, familiarity with the route, time pressure, and desire to finish the trip led to a fatal collision with the ground. The plane was last seen at 5800 feet above sea level, flying at 150 knots, before losing radar contact due to rising terrain 17.5 nautical miles west of the airport.

The TSB also recommends that pilots regularly practice instrument flying and complete mountain flying training for weather conditions in hilly areas. Garry Wutzke, a pilot with the Calgary Civil Air Search and Rescue Association, explains, "When you fly west, the terrain goes up. If you have low clouds, it narrows the gap, and the ground just rises in front of you." The passengers were all from Calgary and part of the church community through Harvest Hills Alliance Church and RockPointe Church.

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