Victim's families file lawsuits on First Air crash at CYRB Resolute Bay, Nunavut |
Five lawsuits have been filed in Nunavut courts following the August 2011 crash of a First Air 737 near Resolute Bay, Nunavut. Families of a number of the crash victims are suing First Air, Nav Canada and the Department of National Defence (DND). The families of the First Air flight attendants and the pilot and co-pilot, who all died in the crash, have also filed suit. And First Air is suing DND and Nav Canada. The various suits allege DND and Nav Canada were negligent in the operation of air traffic control at CYRB at the time of the crash. A military exercise, Operation Nanook, was getting underway at the time of the crash The Canadian Transportation Safety Board released a progress report (Jan 5/12) on their investigation into the crash of First Air Boeing 737-200 C-GNWN at Resolute Bay, Nunavut on August 20, 2011. CBC News story here. On April 5, 2013, the TSB told CBC News that they have a draft final report on the crash prepared, but that it will be some time before the final report is complete and released. The final report was released on March 25, 2014. More detail on the report and links are available here. The plane crashed on approach to CYFB, the Resolute Bay airport. Fifiteen people were aboard, including a crew of 4. Twelve died in the crash, including all of the First Air crew members. Three passengers were medevaced to hospital in Iqaluit, Nunavut, from which they were sent on for further treatment to Ottawa, with non-life threatening injuries. Members of the Canadian Forces who were in Resolute for Operation Nanook, along with local volunteer firefighters, were involved in the rescue of the survivors. A number of the those who died in the crash were employees of Aziz Kerhaj, owner of the South Camp Inn in Resolute. Aziz and his wife also lost a granddaughter in crash. Crash survivor Michelle Willamson told her story of what happened that day to CBC's The National. Video and transcript here. Pilots and airlines in Yellowknife, where the flight originated, held a memorial fly-by a few days after the accident. The video is here. You'll see Buffalo Airways DC-3, DC-4, C-46; a Dehavilland Buffalo, Twin Otters, DASH 7 and 8, Beech 18, Dornier 228, and others. The fly-by finishes with a Canadian North B737. The original CBC News story from August 20, 2011 is here. Some photos, IFR approach plate and other information regarding conditions (METAR CYRB) at the time are available in the Aviation Herald article here. More information was posted at cbc.ca/north on August 22/11. And again on August 23/11 There is also an extensive pilots discussion thread available at AvCanada, including IFR approach chart information.
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Last Updated on Wednesday, 20 August 2014 20:51 |