Two altitude incursions involving Beech 1900D at Vancouver International

Casualties unknown • Vancouver, British Columbia 20 nm NE, CA

A Beech 1900D twice entered airspace below minimum vectoring altitudes during departure from Vancouver, driven by controller distraction and unexpected aircraft performance.

What happened

On a recent departure from Vancouver International Airport, a Beech 1900D operated by Central Mountain Airways flight 785 entered restricted airspace below the required minimum vectoring altitude (MVA) on two separate occasions. Following the POCO ONE standard instrument departure, the aircraft was initially cleared to a heading of 010 degrees to avoid slower traffic. While climbing, the aircraft penetrated the 7000-foot MVA boundary at 6100 feet.

During the subsequent climb, the aircraft again entered a sector where the MVA was 9000 feet, reaching 9000 feet only after it had been within the restricted area for approximately 20 seconds. The pilot maintained visual contact with the terrain throughout the event and reported no loss of control.

The investigation

The investigation focused on the actions of two departure controllers and the management of the flight data strips. The first controller had recently taken over a combined north and south departure position, which increased his workload. While managing a separation issue in the south departure sector, his attention was diverted from the climbing Beech 1900D.

When the first controller noticed the 7000-foot MVA incursion, he sought relief. The transfer of responsibility to the second controller was described as hurried and lacked a standard briefing. The second controller, under the impression the aircraft was already climbing to 9000 feet, issued a clearance to 11,000 feet while his attention was also diverted by southbound traffic. The investigation also examined the flight data strips, which contained erroneous altitude information and were not updated according to established procedures.

Findings

  • Traffic management in the south departure sector distracted both controllers from monitoring terrain clearance for the northbound aircraft.
  • The climb performance of the Beech 1900D was lower than the controllers had anticipated.
  • The transfer of position responsibility between controllers was inadequate and lacked a proper checklist.
  • The flight data strip was not updated correctly, and it contained inaccurate altitude data.
  • The pilot was not notified via standard safety alert phraseology that the aircraft had descended below the required MVA.

Probable cause

The primary cause of the altitude incursions was the distraction of air traffic controllers by other traffic, compounded by the unexpected climb performance of the aircraft and an inadequate transfer of responsibility between controllers.

Frequently asked questions

What happened in the 2000-01-13 Beech 1900D C-FCMP accident near Vancouver, British Columbia 20 nm NE, CA?

A Beech 1900D twice entered airspace below minimum vectoring altitudes during departure from Vancouver, driven by controller distraction and unexpected aircraft performance.

What aircraft was involved and where did it happen?

The accident on 2000-01-13 involved a Beech 1900D C-FCMP, operated by Central Mountain Airways, at Vancouver, British Columbia 20 nm NE, CA.

What was the probable cause of the accident?

The primary cause of the altitude incursions was the distraction of air traffic controllers by other traffic, compounded by the unexpected climb performance of the aircraft and an inadequate transfer of responsibility between controllers.

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