Plane crash that killed 2 pilots ‘a preventable accident’

Firefighters attend the scene of a plane crash in Richmond, B.C. on Thursday, Oct. 27, 2011. (Steve Smith / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

A series of pilot errors and an improperly secured engine oil cap caused a plane crash that killed two pilots near Vancouver International Airport in October 2011, the Transportation Safety Board said Wednesday as it released its investigation findings into the accident.

TSB spokesman Bill Yearwood said the oil cap was left unsecured during routine maintenance but wasn’t detected because there was no pre-flight inspection of the aircraft.

The Beech King Air 100 twin-engine aircraft reversed course 15 minutes after departing for Kelowna after it detected an oil leak in the left engine.

But the plane plummeted onto No. 2 Road in Richmond, less than a kilometre from the airport, and burst into flames.

The pilot, 44-year-old Luc Fortin of North Vancouver, died hours after the crash of fire-related injuries. His co-pilot Matt Robic, 27, died from his injuries three weeks later.

The TSB findings concluded impact-related injuries sustained by the pilots limited their ability to extricate themselves from the aircraft when it caught fire.

Eight people survived the crash but suffered injuries including burns, spinal fractures and one mild brain injury.

Yearwood said the pilots could have survived the crash if it wasn’t for the fire. He said Transport Canada failed to put recommendations in place from his board to reduce post-crash fires.

Six survivors are suing the airline for damages, saying crew members from Northern Thunderbird Air Inc. willingly ignored the apparent oil leak prior to takeoff.

Yearwood said passengers alerted flight crew to oil underneath the wing, but their concerns weren’t acted upon.

The engine manufacturer issued a bulletin in 1995 recommending a modification to the oil cap to limit oil loss when it isn’t secured properly – but that fix was never made.