Georgian Express Flight 126
An Cessna 208B Grand Caravan similar to the one involved in the accident | |
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | January 17, 2004 |
| Summary | Crashed shortly after takeoff due to icing and overweight |
| Site | Lake Erie, 3 km north west of Pelee Island Airport, Canada |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | Cessna 208B Grand Caravan |
| Operator | Air Georgian |
| Registration | C-FAGA |
| Flight origin | Pelee Island Airport |
| Destination | Windsor International Airport |
| Occupants | 10 |
| Passengers | 9 |
| Crew | 1 |
| Fatalities | 10 |
Georgian Express Flight 126 was a scheduled domestic flight from Pelee, Ontario to Windsor, Ontario. On January 17, 2004 the Cessna 208B Grand Caravan crashed after takeoff due to icing and overweight, killing all ten people on board.
Background
Aircraft
The involved aircraft was a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan built in 1990 registered as C-FAGA to the Canadian Air Georgian. It had 7,809 flight hours at the time of the accident.[1]
Passengers
Nine passengers boarded Flight 126. As the only crew member one pilot was on board. He had flown as a first officer with Georgian Express (then a subsidiary of Air Georgian) since November 2000, initially Beechcraft 1900s and as captain since 30 November 2003 Cessna 208s.[1]
Purpose of flight
Passenger service between Windsor and Pelee is normally provided by a ferry service operated by the Owen Sound Transportation Company (OSTC). During the winter months when Lake Erie is frozen, the company contracts with external service providers to operate air services.[2] Georgian Express was awarded the contract for the 2003/04 winter season on December 13, 2003.
Flight timeline
At 15:23 the aircraft refueled at Windsor Airport for its flight to Pelee. At 15:55 the aircraft was de-iced and took off ten minutes later. 25 minutes later it landed at Pelee airport. Before takeoff in Pelee two people on the ramp expressed their concern about ice on the wing to the pilot. The pilot was then observed inspecting the wing, but expressed no concern and continued boarding the passengers and loading the cargo. At approximately 16:38 the aircraft took off as GGN126 for Windsor. After having taken off using most of the runway, the Cessna climbed into the air at a very shallow angle. As the pilot raised the flaps over Lake Erie while attempting to land, a stall occurred. Because the aircraft was entering a right turn at this point, the stall first occurred on the left wing. The nose dipped, and the Cessna rolled to the left and eventually impacted the ice, killing all ten passengers.[3][4]
Aftermath
The family of Robert Brisco, a passenger who was killed in the crash, sued both Georgian Express and Owen Sound Transportation in 2019 for monetary damages and punitive damages after they previously admitted liability.[4]
Investigation
The investigation by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada found that the aircraft was operable, but about 15 percent overweight at the time of departure.[1] The Board determined that standard passenger weight values should be updated and that commercial and air taxi aircraft with nine or fewer passengers should use real passenger weights instead of standard ones so as not to underestimate their weight.[5][6] Additionally, an Ontario jury found the pilot at fault for the crash and awarded the family of a victim $345,000.[7]
References
- ^ a b c Kanada, ed. (2006). Loss of control: Georgian Express Ltd. Cessna 208B Caravan C-FAGA, Pelee Island, Ontario, 17 January 2004 ; report number A04H0001. Aviation investigation report. Ottawa: Minister of Public Works and Government Services. ISBN 978-0-662-42996-8.
- ^ Wilhelm, Trevor (January 17, 2024). "20 years later: Pelee Island plane crash still haunts loved ones". Windsor Star. Archived from the original on June 5, 2025. Retrieved June 5, 2025.
- ^ Government of Canada, Transportation Safety Board of Canada (2004-01-17). "Aviation Investigation Report A04H0001 - Transportation Safety Board of Canada". www.tsb.gc.ca. Retrieved 2025-06-05.
- ^ a b "Family of passenger killed in 2004 Pelee Island airplane crash suing for damages". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. November 19, 2019. Retrieved June 26, 2025.
- ^ Canada, Transportation Safety Board of (2004-10-07). "The TSBC Issues Air Safety Recommendations for Standard Passenger Weights Arising from its Investigation into the Fatal Crash of Georgian Express Flight 126 on January 17, 2004". www.canada.ca. Retrieved 2025-06-05.
- ^ "REASSESSMENT OF THE RESPONSES TO AVIATION SAFETY RECOMMENDATION A04-01" (PDF). Transportation Safety Board of Canada. March 6, 2013. Retrieved June 5, 2025.
- ^ "Jury awards $345k in Pelee plane crash lawsuit". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. December 9, 2019. Archived from the original on December 12, 2019. Retrieved June 5, 2025.