A judge of the Ontario Superior Court has ordered the Canadian Transportation Safety Board to produce a copy of the cockpit voice recording (“CVR”) in the multi-million dollar litigation which followed an overrun accident at Toronto’s Lester B. Pearson Airport.  On August 2, 2005, Air France Flight 358 approached Toronto Airport in a severe thunderstorm.  The aircraft landed almost halfway down the 9000 foot runway and reverse thrusters were not fully deployed for a further 17 seconds.  The aircraft left the end of the runway at approximately 80 knots, continuing over an open area until it slid into a ravine where it caught fire.   Click here for the Court’s ruling. ICAO Annex 13, dealing with “Aircraft Accident and Incident…
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  As Vancouver prepares to welcome the world for the 2010 Winter Olympics, flight schools and regional carriers operating in the Vancouver area are bracing for the potentially devastating effects of the Olympic flight restrictions.  The restrictions are aimed at enhancing security, and will be in effect for an eight-week period from January 29, 2010 to March 24, 2010 (beginning two weeks before the Olympics and ending three days after the close of the Paralympic Games). Designated Olympic airspace consists of two overlapping rings centered over the Vancouver International Airport and the Whistler Athlete’s Village.  There are three distinct areas within the Olympic airspace, referred to as the Olympic Rings, the Olympic Control Area and the Olympic Restricted Zones.  Flight restrictions…
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  R. v. Tayfel, 2007 MBQB 265, 2009 MBCA 124 The Manitoba Court of Appeal has overturned the conviction of a pilot for criminal negligence causing death and bodily harm for a crash landing in downtown Winnipeg, but has upheld a conviction of dangerous operation of an aircraft.  In the circumstances, the court did not consider the pilot’s conduct blameworthy enough to constitute criminal negligence.  On June 11, 2002, Mark Tayfel was flying a Navajo Chieftain for Keystone Air Service on charter flights to and from a fly-in fishing camp northeast of Winnipeg. As pilot in command, Mr. Tayfel was responsible for ensuring that there was enough fuel on board.  Mr. Tayfel filed an IFR (Instrument Flight Rules) flight plan,…
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