OT Users should pay for SAR services

[JL]

This topic has been around the horn too many times on this forum, but this one got me ire up!

Published | Publié: 2011-03-01

Received | Reçu: 2011-03-01 5:44 AM

TIMES COLONIST (VICTORIA) (FINAL)

NEWS, Page: A1 / FRONT

Two rescues in four days for pilot after hard landing

Judith Lavoie, Times Colonist

The crash-landing of a small plane on a remote Island beach has sparked a series of twists and turns, including a full-scale search on Monday for three men who were thought to be missing.

It all started on Friday when Saltspring Island pilot Oban Gilbert-Stone bounced his plane onto a beach near Carmanah Point Light Station, which is only reachable by air, boat or foot.

The plane's landing gear broke, and the plane couldn't take off again.

Gilbert-Stone and a passenger then climbed to the lighthouse where they were greeted by assistant lightkeeper Justine Etzkorn.

"I called coast guard to let them know a plane was down on the beach and they called [Canadian Armed Forces] 442 Squadron in Comox and they sent a Cormorant to come and pick them up," said Etzkorn.

Capt. Alexandre Cadieux, 19 Wing spokesman, said the Cormorant flew to Carmanah Point after being told the plane was too damaged to fly. "They were brought to Victoria safely," he said.

Dave McVetty, Pacific Rim National Park Reserve superintendent, is still wondering why Gilbert-Stone decided to land in a park, which is not allowed without a permit. "I am told it was not an emergency landing," he said.

On Sunday, Gilbert-Stone with brothers Sascha and Saeward parked their vehicle on a logging road, and embarked on a 16-kilometre hike to Carmanah Point with the goal of repairing the kit-built plane. They were carrying tools and a propeller.

On Sunday night, a girlfriend of one of the brothers phoned RCMP to report them overdue at Carmanah Point. Victoria Rescue Coordination Centre was told the men were prepared to camp overnight, so the search did not start until Monday morning, said Capt. Greg Clarke.

A coast guard vessel was sent out from Bamfield, a helicopter detoured into the area and Parks Canada looked after the on-theground search. "During that search the parks superintendent recognized the names and linked it to the plane and guessed they were trying to repair the plane to avoid a hefty bill," Clarke said.

It was a concern that they might try to fly the plane "and there would be more serious injuries if there was a plane crash," Clarke said.

Later in the day, Gilbert-Stone and his brothers turned up at Carmanah Point lighthouse, and were greeted by Etzkorn a second time.

Because the weather was too foul to allow for a Parks Canada helicopter to fly them out, the brothers spent the night in the Carmanah Point crew house. They might be flown out today if the weather clears.

"They figured they could mend the plane, but that's not Transport Canada approved. If you've had a crash you usually have to have it checked before it flies again. Transport Canada wants to discourage people from crashing again," said Etzkorn.

"I wouldn't say we got lost, exactly. The roads on the backroad map didn't actually match what was out there," Gilbert-Stone said in an interview.

He believes he could have fixed the plane, but is now resigned to footing the bill to have the machine helicoptered out.

"It wasn't a hard landing. It was a failure of the landing gear," he said.

He didn't offer an explanation for why he landed on the beach.

[J.O.]

Just like on our roads, some people should never be given the keys ...