Harbour Safety. Float plane collision coal harbour

kaelc

kaelc

Crew Member
for the purposes of discussion, dont collision regs apply to float planes the same as boats? and from the very limited perspective that above video shows, that would make the fishing vessel the stand on vessel and the plane should have gave way?
 
Most float plane “runways” are well marked. Planes don’t have many options when under power. Boats have many more. Give aircraft their space.
 
wdlfbio said:
Planes don’t have many options when under power. Boats have many more.
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planes have the same options under power as any boat. How the airplane area plays into the collision regs within coal harbour im not sure.
 
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Fixit said:
planes have the same options under power as any boat. How the airplane area plays into the collision regs within coal harbour im not sure
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Actually, they don’t. Depending upon speed, a pilot can’t just hang a quick right. Trying to turn at the wrong time could easily flip the plane. The pilot has two choices, cut throttle and hope the aircraft slows in time, or add power and hope for enough lift to clear the obstacle.
 
I’m guessing the location is not the closed landing area, but tough to tell from the video and my armchair.

I think he tried to add power to clear the boat. What a disaster.

The traffic scheme looks poorly defined for the harbour and every pilot should know it’s summer cowboy running a boat time. The wake being put up was an indication of not following the 5kn rule.

My Edmonton transplant buddy, is a good example but fortunately we went to the west coast not a harbour tour (no offence intended to excellent Alberta mariners of which there are lots but being lectured by someone with a hundred hours of sea time was tough to swallow)
wdlfbio said:
Actually, they don’t. Depending upon speed, a pilot can’t just hang a quick right. Trying to turn at the wrong time could easily flip the plane. The pilot has two choices, cut throttle and hope the aircraft slows in time, or add power and hope for enough lift to clear the obstacle.
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Was the boat crossing the Float Plane runway? If so ……
 
Fixit said:
planes have the same options under power as any boat. How the airplane area plays into the collision regs within coal harbour im not sure.
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I believe it does when taxiing but if it’s like Victoria harbour, there is a marked out runway area where the aircraft for obvious reasons has the right of way.
 
We spent a couple of nights at Maple Bay Marina last summer. There is an active float plane runway as you approach the Marina

It is well marked on Charts, physically with float balls, and on our chartplotter.

It was shocking how many boats over the two days we were there anchor and /or attempted to anchor in the water runway.

The boats causing the issues were all larger 30 plus feet , a few were sailboats.

We saw the pilots have to fly over the anchored boats and then the someone from the marina or the float plane company have to go out and basically make the boats move.

In my former life I made many flights on Harbour Air and being 6'4' and 230 I was always place in the co-pilots seat.

We always landed and took off in the same area
 
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Not much forward visibility in a single engine like a Beaver. Near takeoff speed, nose comes up and makes it worse. Boat was making a wake, so its speed was not inconsequential. Good chance the pilot didn't even see it cross into a collision situation.
 
Based on what the Port of Vancouver publishes boats are to stay clear of the aircraft operations zone.

From what I've observed over the years there is almost constant boat traffic through the aircraft operations zone. I'm actually genuinely surprised this hasn't happened already. The only way to get into Coal Harbour, to the fuel dock etc. and stay out of the aircraft zone is to pass within ~500 feet of the seaplane docks.

Capture.JPG
 
sly_karma said:
Not much forward visibility in a single engine like a Beaver. Near takeoff speed, nose comes up and makes it worse. Boat was making a wake, so its speed was not inconsequential. Good chance the pilot didn't even see it cross into a collision situation.
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Wonder if the Control Tower failed to warn the aircraft. Guess it will all come out in the investigation. Having said that, the chart for Victoria Harbour is much easier to use for boaters.
 
The seaplane traffic in coal harbor shifts with the winds, while there is a seaplane operational zone, that makes it all but impossible to pass into coal harbor without moving through it.

We have said for years it is an accident waiting to happen. On vessel approach, it isn't super easy to pick out the planes as they taxi out close to the airport terminal wirh the canada place backdrop, stuff blends in. But any boater on approach or departure should be scanning the seaplane docks and if necessary, gtfo the way Pronto.

Could be the boater didn't figure the lane would run that way over towards Stanley Park but they often go that way on departure. Crazy seeing the video of the plane doing that jump.
 
Possible scenario: boat operator sees floatplane taxi downwind, figures he should hustle across to fuel dock/private dock, or otherwise be stuck waiting for plane to take off. Beaver pilot receives clearance amd throttles up, can't see boat crossing into lane. Boat operator unprepared for speed of an aircraft, and engine noise is being pushed downwind away from them. Suddenly they're both trying to occupy same piece of space and time.
 
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