Air Canada Flight 190

Infobox Airliner accident
name= Air Canada Flight 190
Date=startdate|2008|01|10


caption =
Type= Severe Turbulence
Origin= Victoria International Airport, British Columbia, Canada
Destination= Toronto Pearson International Airport, Ontario, Canada
Site= Over the Rocky Mountains near Cranbrook, British Columbia, Canada.
Fatalities=0
Injuries= 10 [ [http://www.cbc.ca/canada/calgary/story/2008/01/10/injuries-landing.html?ref=rss "Pilot of rocky flight reported computer failure: passengers"] ]
Aircraft Type=Airbus A319
Operator=Air Canada
Tail Number= C-GBHZ
Passengers= 83
Crew= 5
Survivors= 88 (all)|

Air Canada Flight 190 was a scheduled flight from Victoria International Airport, British Columbia, Canada, to Toronto Pearson International Airport, Ontario, Canada on Thursday, January 10, 2008. The plane was an Airbus A319. It was forced to make an emergency landing in Calgary International Airport, Alberta due to severe turbulence.Cite web
url=http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20080110/landing_plane_080110/20080110?hub=TopStories |publisher=CTV |date=2008-01-10 |accessdate=2008-01-10 |title=Several injured on diverted Air Canada flight]

Beginning

At around 6:21 a.m. PST (14:21Z), Flight 190 departed Victoria, British Columbia. At around 8:00 a.m. MST (15:00Z) the plane was flying over the Rocky Mountains, in northern Washington, south of Cranbrook, British Columbia when the incident occurred. [ [http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5hJCd7NwQylU5SDtMusDg7jIshgyg "Wake turbulence from other aircraft possible cause of plane drop last week: TSB" "Canadian Press"] ]

Incident

Passengers reported a number of altitude changes before a 15-second occurrence that saw the plane violently shift, sending passengers and crew flying around the Airbus.Cite web |url=http://www.thestar.com/News/article/292818 |title=10 hurt as jet bucks, plunges |publisher=Toronto Star |date=2008-01-10 |accessdate=2008-01-10] The pilot reported to the passengers that the computer failed. The pilot made an emergency call to the air traffic controller (ATC), asking for clearance to make an emergency landing at Calgary International Airport. The plane then proceeded to make a safe landing in Calgary around 8:30 am (MT).

An online flight path indicated that the plane appeared to change course south of Grand Forks. Air Canada has not confirmed the cause for the flight's diversion and will be conducting a full internal investigation.

FlightAware, which tracks commercial flights, reported radar showed the aircraft bouncing up and down between various altitudes starting about 20 minutes after takeoff, believed to be an attempt to evade turbulence.

Aftermath

Emergency crews were on the scene preparing for the worst. Twenty-two Calgary fire trucks and more than ten ambulance units were at the plane's landing.Cite web |url=http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=228659 |title=Passengers injured in rough Calgary landing |publisher=National Post |date=2008-01-10 |accessdate=2008-01-10] Ten people were taken to three different hospitals with minor injuries.Cite web |url=http://www.cbc.ca/canada/calgary/story/2008/01/10/injuries-landing.html?ref=rss |publisher=CBC |date=2008-01-10 |accessdate=2008-01-10 |title=Pilot of rocky flight reported computer failure: passengers] The injured passengers and crew were taken to waiting ambulances to be checked out at local hospitals. Uninjured passengers were taken through the airport to take other flights to Toronto.cite web |url=http://newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/January2008/10/c8161.html |title=Air Canada provides statement on flight AC190 |accessdate=2008-01-21] Later the same day, all injured passengers and crew were released from the hospitals.cite web |url=http://micro.newswire.ca/release.cgi?rkey=1601108161&view=13213-0&Start=0 |title=Air Canada AC190 update: last passenger released from hospital |accessdate=2008-01-19]

As is typical in the immediate aftermath of any aviation incident, there has been speculation as to the cause, including:
* Dis-engagement of the autopilot caused by "computer failure"
* Clear-Air Turbulence (CAT) caused by the movement of the jet stream over the Rocky Mountains, followed by dis-engagement of the autopilot when the aircraft's movements were out of the range that the autopilot can handle,
* A specific type of airflow called Lee Wave or Mountain Wave, followed by dis-engagement of the autopilot when the aircraft's movements were out of the range that the autopilot can handle,
* Wake turbulence from another aircraft ahead and higher than AC190, followed by dis-engagement of the autopilot when the aircraft's movements were out of the range that the autopilot can handle. cite web |url=http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20080116/air_canada_080116/20080116/ |title=Wake turbulence' may be behind bumpy AC flight |accessdate=2008-01-19]

References