http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNew...argo_plane_051
221/20051221?hub=TopStories



A pilot and co-pilot died instantly when their small plane crashed in
British Columbia Tuesday night. The cargo plane crashed at about 6:30 p.m.,
less than a minute after taking off from Terrace, B.C., a northern community
located about 145 kilometres from Prince Rupert.

Staff at the Terrace Airport noticed a fireball in the woods beyond the
airfield almost immediately after the plane took off. Airport officials said
the runway was in good shape, but that there was freezing rain at the time
of accident.

Investigators from the Transportation Safety Board will determine whether
the Navair plane had been properly de-iced.

"We know that Navair pilots are tasked with own de-icing," Bill Yearwood, an
investigator with the Transportation Safety Board told CTV Vancouver. "They
do not contract out their de-icing, so they would not line up with other
aircraft for de-icing. They would do it themselves."

Ice accumulation can actually change the shape of the wings of a plane, and
de-icing is a mandatory safety precaution. But keeping a record of the
process is not. Investigators will have to rely on witnesses do determine
whether the procedure was performed before the plane took-off.

The Navair charter courier aircraft -- a twin-engine, MU2 Mitsubishi
plane -- was heading to Vancouver at the time of the crash.

The same type of aircraft is currently being investigated by the U.S.
aviation industry. In the past 20 months there have been 12 accidents
involving MU2 planes, and 14 people have died.



I remember someone bringing up the issue of the MU2's and the recent crashes
that have occured regarding the Mitsubishi aircraft and Mike Rappaport
defending the safety record of the MU2.

In this case I feel that this crash may have more to do with the weather and
possibly the crews haste to get into the air.



Gary