There is much to ponder in light of the Transportation Safety Board (TSB) of Canada's 35-page aviation investigation report, released May 15, into the Gogal Air Services Limited C-GAGP Cessna 208B Caravan Snow Lake crash on Nov. 18, 2012, which killed 40-year-old pilot Mark Gogal, and seriously injured seven Dumas Mine Contracting passengers, on their way back to Winnipeg when the ill-fated one-minute flight crashed in a densely wooded area, less than mile beyond the departure end of Snow Lake Airport Runway 21.
The report acts as a focusing lens, giving structure to the events of that fateful day 1 1/2 years ago, a Sunday morning that saw in rapid succession the worst and best happen in Snow Lake, a community of about 700 souls, some 250 kilometres southwest of Thompson. Snow Lake's modern-day roots date back to 1925 and Christopher Parres discovering gold in the area, when the mineral claims that form the basis of the Snow Lake mine were staked.
As it is at pains to point out, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada is an independent agency that investigates marine, pipeline, railway and aviation transportation occurrences. Its sole aim is the advancement of transportation safety. It is not the function of the board to assign fault or determine civil or criminal liability.
Some of the most salient observations, we believe, are contained in a companion news release by the board to Aviation Investigation Report A12C0154: "Gogal Air Services is a charter air operator and is certified to offer a non-scheduled air service. However, the report notes that a part of the company's flight operations - moving mine workers between Winnipeg and the mine at Snow Lake - had some of the features of repetitive charter operations (such as scheduled service). These operations incur additional risks, such as customer expectations of performance in various weather conditions. In spite of these risks, Transport Canada does not provide the same degree of oversight as it does for a scheduled operator. Because of this, the risks in the operator's activities may not be fully evaluated."
Gogal Airlines is a family business that began in 1983 with a single aircraft, a Cessna 185, taking off and touching down on the water outside their cottage on Wekusko Lake's Berry Bay.
As Marc Jackson, our long-time Snow Lake columnist, noted last Oct. 11, "Forty-year-old pilot Mark Gogal, a father of two and friend to many, tragically lost his life and seven others on board the ill-fated aircraft were injured. Gogal perished doing what he loved to do Through thick bush, over rock and around swamps, people raced to the scene of the crash on their snowmobiles and ATVs. Members of Snow Lake's Volunteer Fire Department, EMS First Responders, RCMP, conservation officers, Mark's friends, Canadian Rangers, Town of Snow Lake employees and coworkers of the injured crash victims sprang into action in order to help the injured. Additionally, Strilkiwski Contracting immediately transported one of their dozers to the site and began pushing a bush road that allowed medical help and stretchers to get to the downed aircraft."
Last Oct. 1, Manitoba NDP Premier Greg Selinger travelled to Snow Lake, where he paid tribute to the heroism displayed at the plane crash, as the first anniversary approached. Selinger presented a certificateto the Town of Snow Lake "recognizing the bravery and courage" that followed the tragedy.
"On behalf of all Manitobans, I want to extend my deepest, heart-felt sympathy to the family of Mark Gogal," said Selinger. "I hope the courage of the people of Snow Lake that day in saving the lives of the passengers serves as some comfort to the family and that this certificate will serve as a lasting reminder of the appreciation we all have to those who jumped into action to help."
Selinger acknowledged the volunteers who moved victims from the crash site and cleared a path to get to the accident scene, the first responders and emergency personnel, along with staff at the health centre.
"Your selfless actssaved lives that day and I know I speak for all Manitobans in sayingwe couldn't be more proud of how you all came together in the face of adversity," the premier said.
Snow Lake Mayor Clarence Fisher, a teacher at Joseph H. Kerr School, spoke about how a day like Nov. 18, 2012 changes lives in a small community and touches many homes and families in some way. "I also spoke about how proud I was of the community and that it didn't matter that most of the people involved in the crash were not from Snow Lake," said the mayor. "In many communities people don't know the names of their neighbours, but here people stepped up to help no matter who was involved."
That spirit also lives on with the Mark Gogal Memorial Main Street Road Hockey Tournament during Snow Lake's Winter Who-ot weekend in March, sponsored by the Snow Lake Motor Inn, with 54 players taking part in the second single knockout tourney this year, with the Spartans, made up of Mark's brother, Brad Gogal, Adam Taylor, Matt Winterton, Dusty Hill, (Wild) Bill Parker and Travis Shewchuk, edging the Motor Inns 2-1 in the hard-fought final.
"Sticks were raised," in the beverage room of the Snow Lake Motor Inn, "and so was the odd beverage in his memory," Jackson dryly observed in his March 21 column.
