Plane with 3 Canadians aboard missing in Antarctica

[Locutus]

A plane travelling from the South Pole with three Canadians aboard has gone missing in Antarctica, a New Zealand government agency says.

Rescuers began searching for the Twin Otter aircraft after its emergency transmitter was activated at around 10 p.m. local time Tuesday, Maritime New Zealand said in a release.

A U.S. Air National Guard plane based in the region was also dispatched to the mountainous area but did not locate the missing aircraft, the news release said.

The beacon is transmitting from the northern end of the continent's Queen Alexandra mountain range, in the same region as McMurdo Station, an American research station on the continent.

A helicopter and another Twin Otter plane were scheduled to fly to the site, with plans to set up a temporary base 50 kilometres from where the plane is believed to have gone down en route to an Italian base in Terra Nova Bay.

Search conditions in the area are considered poor, with heavy cloud cover and increasing winds.


more


Plane with 3 Canadians aboard missing in Antarctica - World - CBC News

 

[earth_as_one]

Antarctic rescue mission says forecasted weather break could be good news


By Bob Weber, The Canadian Press January 24, 2013 11:30 PM

A forecasted break in the weather could be the best opportunity for searchers to find a group of Canadians missing in Antarctica.
Steve Rendle of New Zealand's Rescue Coordination Centre said skies were expected to clear in the area Saturday morning local time — Friday afternoon in Alberta — which could allow rescue teams to fly over where the plane owned by Calgary-based Kenn Borek Air is believed to have gone down.
The Twin Otter began transmitting signals from its emergency locator beacon early Wednesday. Aircraft tried twice to spot it in the mountainous area where it went down but failed due to heavy, low cloud.
If the weather clears, Rendle said they hope to establish a base of operations at a runway and fuel depot located at the Beardmore Glacier, about 50 kilometres from the presumed crash site.
From there, helicopters would be dispatched to search for the craft.

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/weather+hampers+search+Canadians+missing+Antarctica+crews/7865243/story.html
​

I flew Kenn Borek Air a long time ago. They are cold weather, long distance specialists. They used inertial navigation for flights too far north or south for GPS.

Kenn Borek Incidents, Rescues and Crashes Over The Years

 

[Stretch]

well, if ya believe all the hype, there wouldnt be any ice to land on, global warming wouldve seen to that

 

[Locutus]

Antarctic crash deemed 'not survivable' after visual contact made

Search and rescue workers made visual contact with the site of a crash in Antarctica late Friday night Mountain Time.

Three Canadians, whose aircraft disappeared days ago on the continent, are now believed to be dead and the mission has become a recovery effort.

The plane's operator, Calgary-based Kenn Borek Air, said in a written statement that the scene of the crash appeared to search and rescue crews to be "not survivable."

A New York National Guard Hercules aircraft first made visual contact with the overdue plane, the statement said.

"The sighting was confirmed approximately thirty minutes later by a Kenn Borek Air Ltd. Twin Otter aircraft deployed in a search and rescue role.

"The crew of the SAR Twin Otter reports that the overdue aircraft impacted a steep snow and ice-covered mountain slope.

"No signs of activity are evident in the area surrounding the site, and it appears that the impact was not survivable," the statement said.
A spokesperson for the company said that the families of the victims have been notified.


more


Antarctic crash deemed 'not survivable' after visual contact made - World - CBC News

 

[Liberalman]

Geez us what a way to go

 

[lone wolf]

Beats freezing after the fact. Rest in Peace

 

[#juan]

It is amazing how fragile aircraft are when they slam into a rock face at a 150 knots(172mph)
which is the cruising speed of a Twin Otter. There would be no survivors. The twin otter is
capable of flying very slowly but on this flight they would fly at the most ecconomic speed
which would be the cruising speed

 

[L Gilbert]

It's risky flying there. Average wind speed is about 70 km/hr and some places have recorded gusts up to 327 km/hr. I'd be watching satellite imaging like a buzzard and choosing bright and sunny days.