Attention:
Canadian Aviation Regulations (CAR) Subparts 406, 604, 701, 702, 703, 704 and 705 Seaplane & Floatplane Operators
PRIVATE Seaplane & Floatplane owners and flight crews
| Issuing Office: | Standards Branch |
|---|---|
| Document No.: | CASA 2011-03 |
| Issue No.: | 01 |
| RDIMS No.: | 6754419 |
| Effective Date: | 2011-06-03 |
Purpose:
The purpose of this Civil Aviation Safety Alert (CASA) is to encourage all commercial and private floatplane operators to voluntarily adopt floatplane safety best industry practices.
Background:
In its Final Report A09P0397, concerning the November 29, 2009, fatal DHC-2 Beaver accident at Lyall Harbour, British Columbia, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) determined that the risk of drowning for occupants of floatplane accidents remains high.
Between 1990 and 2009 there were 134 accidents of commercial aircraft equipped with floats or amphibious floats registered in Canada. Of those, 39 were investigated by the TSB, 31 were considered to be survivable, six were not survivable, and two were unknown. Of the 31survivable accidents, none of the occupants was wearing a Personal Flotation Device (PFD).
Transport Canada takes the issue of floatplane safety seriously and has taken several initiatives over the years to address this issue through comprehensive safety promotion, awareness campaigns and regulatory actions. This present CASA is issued to further promote floatplane safety to industry.
Recommended action:
Operators and flight crews are strongly encouraged to voluntarily adopt the best industry practices in relation to floatplane safety, including:
- upper body restraints to be used by front seat passengers;
- comprehensive safety briefing to passengers, including the proper usage of personal flotation devices during and after emergency egress;
- emergency egress training for flight crew; and
- the adoption of aircraft safety design improvements facilitating egress.
For more information, please visit: https://tc.canada.ca/en/aviation/commercial-air-services/carrying-passengers/floatplanes.
Contact office:
For more information concerning this issue, contact Transport Canada, Civil Aviation Communications Centre by telephone at 1-800-305-2059 or by Civil Aviation Communications Centre contact form.
[Original signed by by Jacqueline Booth, June 3, 2011 ]
Jacqueline Booth
A/Director
Standards Branch
The Transport Canada Civil Aviation Safety Alert (CASA) is used to convey important safety information and contains recommended action items. The CASA strives to assist the aviation industry's efforts to provide a service with the highest possible degree of safety. The information contained herein is often critical and must be conveyed to the appropriate office in a timely manner. The CASA may be changed or amended should new information become available.
Transport Canada documents or intranet pages mentioned in this document are available upon request.
