Accident Details
A de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver floatplane (serial number 1199) was on a scheduled visual flight rules flight from Victoria Harbour to Vancouver Harbour, British Columbia, with the pilot and six passengers. As the aircraft was about to touch down at approximately 1639 Pacific daylight time, the pilot heard a "thump" sound and felt the aircraft shudder. The pilot did not see the small pleasure boat and was unaware of its presence until impact. He immediately aborted the landing, applied power, and climbed. After visual confirmation from the Vancouver Harbour control tower that the aircraft appeared undamaged, the pilot landed without further incident. The boat operator sustained serious injuries (broken ribs, lacerations, collapsed lung); the boat passenger received minor injuries from flying glass. No injuries occurred to the aircraft occupants, and the aircraft was undamaged.
Sequence of Events
The pilot flew a standard arrival from Queen Elizabeth Park to Vanterm checkpoint, then to final approach for a west landing. At about 400 feet above sea level, the tower controller cleared the aircraft to land. Approximately 29 seconds elapsed between clearance and the pilot reporting an overshoot; about 25 seconds are estimated to have passed between clearance and the collision. The pilot maintained a steady approach with a descent rate of about 800 feet per minute, decelerating from 80 knots to 40 knots. The boat, a rental from Granville Island, was returning from the east side of Canada Place toward Brockton Point at about eight knots, with its operator seated facing inward and discussing boat operations. The controller did not see the boat before issuing clearance and did not monitor the landing area afterward, as his attention was diverted to other aircraft. The controller was alone at the time; a second controller was on break.
Personnel and Equipment
The pilot held a Canadian commercial pilot licence with about 1800 total hours, including 1300 on type and 275 in the preceding 90 days. He had worked in the Vancouver area for 20 months and landed in Vancouver Harbour on at least 200 occasions. He flew with his seat in full aft position due to his height (about 6 feet 2 inches). Sight lines from the cockpit are restricted by windshield posts and structure; the left side has a blind spot requiring head movement to view. The pilot had 20/20 uncorrected vision and did not wear sunglasses. The air traffic controller had over 10 years' VFR control experience, with about nine years at Vancouver Harbour. Duty times for both were within regulations. The boat operator was a tourist with no required certification; he had rented similar boats twice before. No charts were found on the boat.
Environmental Conditions
Weather was CAVOK with wind from 250 degrees at 5–10 knots, temperature 15°C, and mostly calm sea with light ripples. The sun was at 240 azimuth, 21.5° above the horizon, creating a large area of bright glare on the water. The aircraft's final approach course was about 250 degrees, and the glare patch coincided with the boat's position during the last few hundred feet of descent. Witnesses assessed the glare as extreme, accentuated by the ripples.
Aftermath
A private vessel arrived within one minute. The captain radioed Vancouver Harbour Vessel Traffic Services. Coast Guard and Harbour Master vessels joined, and a medical technician was transferred to the stricken boat via Sea Bus to administer first aid. The collision occurred within Area Alpha, a designated seaplane landing zone depicted on nautical chart #3493 (advisory only). Standard procedures require controllers to scan the manoeuvring area before issuing clearance, but ultimate responsibility for ensuring a clear landing area rests with the pilot. The controller's manual does not require monitoring the landing to touchdown.