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Date: | 03-JAN-2019 |
Time: | 10:21 LT |
Type: | de Havilland Canada DHC-8-402Q Dash 8 |
Owner/operator: | WestJet Encore |
Registration: | C-FSWE |
MSN: | 4517 |
Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 50 |
Other fatalities: | 0 |
Aircraft damage: | None |
Category: | Incident |
Location: | 20 nm W of Kelowna, BC -
Canada
|
Phase: | En route |
Nature: | Passenger - Scheduled |
Departure airport: | Calgary International Airport, AB (YYC/CYYC) |
Destination airport: | Nanaimo Airport, BC (YCD/CYCD) |
Investigating agency: | TSB Canada |
Confidence Rating: | Information verified through data from accident investigation authorities |
Narrative:A Bombardier DHC-8-400 aircraft operated by WestJet Encore (C-FSWE), was conducting flight WEN3109 from Calgary (CYYC), Canada to Nanaimo (CYCD). At the same time a Piaggio P.180 aircraft operated by Rainbow Sandals Retail Inc (N990RS), was conducting a flight from Spokane (KGEG), USA to Kamloops (CYKA), Canada.
At 10:21:11 Pacific Standard Time, when the aircraft were west of Kelowna, a loss of separation occurred when the required vertical separation minimum of 1000 feet or lateral separation minimum of 5 nautical miles was not maintained. At that time, the aircraft were at the same altitude and less than 5 nautical miles from each other on converging tracks.
At 10:21:20, the Q400 flight crew received and responded to a traffic alert and collision avoidance system resolution advisory to descend. At approximately the same time, the Piaggio P.180 received a traffic advisory. At 10:21:49, there was 1000 feet of vertical separation and 0.9 nautical miles of lateral separation between the two aircraft. Both flights continued to their destinations without further incident.
Findings as to risk:
- If controllers are unfamiliar with air traffic services equipment errors, they may focus their attention on error resolution to the detriment of monitoring and controlling the movement of aircraft, increasing the risk of air traffic conflicts.
- If team supervisors do not adequately monitor controller workload in complex situations with high traffic levels, workload may exceed controller limits, increasing the risk of adverse consequences, such as a loss of separation.
Sources:
TBS A19P0002
Accident investigation:
|
| |
Investigating agency: | TSB Canada |
Status: | Investigation completed |
Duration: | 1 year and 3 months |
Download report: | Final report |
|
Images:
Photo of C-FSWE courtesy AirHistory.net
Montréal - Pierre Elliott Trudeau International (CYUL / YUL)
8 September 2019; (c) Anton Homma

Flight tracks of N990RS and WEN3109, based on Flightaware ADS-B data.
Revision history:
Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
16-Jan-2019 20:41 |
harro |
Added |
16-Jan-2019 21:02 |
harro |
Updated [Narrative] |
02-Apr-2020 19:37 |
harro |
Updated [Time, Narrative, Accident report, ] |