YXS Hit by Not So Perfect Storm
Prince George, B.C. – For the Prince George Airport, it is a case of things going from bad to worse.
Hundreds of travellers have been grounded as West Jet cancelled all its flights today because of a broken weather data system at the Prince George Airport. Air Canada also cancelled its flights, with the exception of one that is still scheduled to arrive just after midnight tonight. That system is operated by NAV Canada and provides pilots with the information they need to make safe landings, information such as ceiling height, sky condition, altimeter setting, wind direction and speed, temperature and dew point.
Well, the replacement part is in Prince George, but the NAV Canada Technician who is qualified to make the repairs is not. As we reported earlier, he was in Fort Nelson, working on another project, and was expected to arrive this afternoon on a Central Mountain Air flight, the only flights that were landing at YXS. That was, until, CMA cancelled it’s flights as well.
So, the only technician in the province who can make the necessary repairs is driving to Prince George from Fort Nelson, and his arrival time will all depend on the road conditions in the Pine Pass and the arrival of the storm that is expected to start pounding the region tonight.
In the meantime, the only flight still on the schedule is an Air Canada flight from Vancouver that is supposed to arrive shortly after midnight. BUT, if the weather system is not repaired before that flight is scheduled to depart Vancouver, it too will be cancelled.
That means, with no WestJet planes (or possibly Air Canada planes) on the ground tonight, the early morning flights out of Prince George will be negatively impacted.
So again, check the YXS website for arrival and departure information, or with your airline.
Comments
I really do sympathize with all these travelers. But, wow, one tech that can’t fly in to fix it?
Nav Can dropped the ball? One tech for the central interior and northern BC?
When we’re trying to promote these ghost airlines to come on in, land, fuel up here?
Where is our Prince George Airport Authority?
NavCanada sure comes off as being bush league in this instance which in turn reflects on the airport and Prince George. What happens if a medivac is required to save someones life?
It appears that this technician is the only one in the Province, so presumably every other Airport would have the same problems.
NavCan will have some answering to do, however if its like most things these days it will be swept under the rug.
Is this a nuclear part that only one guy is qualified for? Surely there must be somone who can screw in this bolt. Maybe not part of the nuclear union.
Nav Canada should have had the repair tech on a charter to Quesnel,MacKenzie or even Williams Lake first thing this morning.
Westjet started cancelling flight last night so the airport has already been down for 24 hours. Minimum 10 hour drive from Fort Nelson with a likely rest stop to catch a few winks somewhere along the way. Probably noon tomorrow before airport is operational again. Think NavCan would let YVR shut down for in excess of 36 hours while they screwed around?
There just has to me more to this shutdown.
With one simple turn of a screw P.G. is reregulated back to the bush leagues. Something very wrong with this picture.
Part of the problem I believe to save money nav Canada no longer has the control tower here manned and no flight service station. It is remotely controlled from Williams Lake. Wonderful hey.
As I said in the other thread, this happens once in a blue moon. Let’s put things in some perspective before we start demanding 24/7 on call NavCan techs at every airport.
Point to where anybody suggested there needed to be a 24/7 tech on hand at every airport. Stop making things up.
A back-up system is not too much to ask for. They’re designed for blue moons.
Good thing the equipment component gave up the ghost now rather than during the Winter Games!
Pylot: “A back-up system is not too much to ask for.”
Are there backup systems in other airports? Since you’re obviously an expert on such equipment, I’m sure you can fill us in on the details.
JB…
A simple METAR system would have been sufficient to get the jets in & out without the AWOS. But since the Feds have zero appetite for planning or due diligence, everything came to a crashing halt, when an obvious plug-n-play part was required. (judging by the speed in which the tech had the AWOS running again).
So once again, are there such systems at other airports? It’s the morning and you probably didn’t have your coffee yet, so I’ll forgive your lack of reading comprehension and general irritated arrogant tone.
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