A new report has found the 2015 crash of a military patrol craft at Greenwood, N.S., that left multiple service members injured and a severely damaged plane, was the result of a high-speed aborted takeoff, pilot fatigue and hydroplaning.
On Aug 27, 2015, a CP140 Aurora airplane was taking off from the 14 Wing air base, where it had recently rained, when the crew observed a flock of birds flying towards the runway.
In order to avoid a collision with the birds, the pilot aborted the takeoff, attempting to put the propellers of the plane into reverse.
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While the propellers on the left side went into full reverse, the propellers on the right side of the aircraft continued to produce thrust and pushed the airplane off the runway as its wheels locked and began to hydroplane.
The plane travelled 1,000 feet off the runway with the propellers striking a runway distance marker and a light.
The soft earth around the runway caused the plane’s nose gear to collapse, forcing the right-side propeller into the ground where it broke away from the engine.
The aircraft eventually came to a stop with all four crew members exiting the plane on their own.
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The crew had all experienced minor injuries though one of the pilots did injure his head when he hit it against a console. The investigation found that this was due to a loosened shoulder harness.
The report found that there was nothing wrong with the plane at the time of the crash but that the aircraft commander had reported mental fatigue at the time of the incident.
In order to avoid future incidents, the report recommended that abort procedures be changed and that the runways at the airbase be repaved in order to negate the possibility of hydroplaning.
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