– It felt like an explosion, said a witness after the seaplane belonging to Nordhordland flyklubb crashed during take-off from Ølvesvika at Husavågen in Kvinnherad. The plane was left upside down in the sea. Two men and two women were on board. All four got out and emerged more or less unscathed from the horror experience. Both Bergensavisen and BT report on Wednesday afternoon that the pilot now has the status of a suspect for violating the Aviation Act. Police prosecutor Sigurd Granli at the West police district tells BT that the suspected offense depends on soundness in relation to piloting an aircraft. news has not been able to get in touch with the police attorney. – This was new to me. Beyond that, I have no comment on this now, says deputy chairman of Nordhordland flyklubb, Ruben Stenevik. Very experienced pilot He himself was contacted by the pilot shortly after the accident. – The pilot has been with the club for years and has flown several types of aircraft, both sea and land. He has quite a few hours of experience. According to Stenevik, they have had no accidents at the club. He describes flying as a safe hobby with good safety statistics. The plane that crashed is a Cessna 180, from 1955, in good condition and with a good technical status, he says. LYING UPSIDE DOWN: The plane was lying upside down in the fjord after the accident. The four on board got out through a window. Photo: GUNN-BENTE STØLEN / Grenda – The aircraft was in top condition – The aircraft has been maintained according to the regulations. It was airworthy and had all approvals and certificates in place. It is in top condition after a restoration two years ago. – So you don’t think it could be a technical fault that led to the accident? – I’m not going to say anything certain about it, but at first glance there is nothing to indicate that. But the Accident Investigation Board will have to come back to that, says Stenevik. The accident is the eighth involving a seaplane in Norway in the last ten years, according to figures from the Norwegian Civil Aviation Authority. On Wednesday, the Accident Investigation Board was on site in Ølvesvika in Kvinnherad to investigate the accident plane and talk to both the pilot, the three passengers and eyewitnesses. LOOKING FOR ANSWERS: The Accident Investigation Board hopes technical investigations and witness statements can provide answers to what happened. Photo: Linnea Skare Oskarsen / news Believes the accident could have been far worse Accident inspector Jon Sneltvedt says the accident could easily have had a far more serious outcome. – Although the collision was not that serious, the plane ended up upside down and under water. The four on board managed to get out through the right window. There is not much space there. The fact that they got out and that they managed it so quickly was crucial to the fact that it went as well as it did, says Sneltvedt to news. He says the commission is now in a phase where they are gathering facts and keeping all possibilities open. – The hope is that we will find something here that will help us find out what happened, says Sneltvedt. UNINJURRED: All four on board the plane are said to have emerged from the incident without significant injuries. Photo: Gunn-Bente Stølen / Grenda The only plane in the club Now it will be up to the insurance company to decide what happens next with the wreckage. It is unlikely that it will fly again. Ruben Stenevik in Nordhordland flyklubb says that it was the only plane the club had. – We await the Accident Investigation Board’s investigations. They will give us feedback on whether they want to confiscate the wreckage or give it back. – It’s amazing that they managed. Stenevik says that the incident has taken a toll on everyone at the club. – It is very tough to experience something like this and it is quite incredible that they have managed when you see the forces they have been exposed to. – Fortunately, we are a group that talks well together and we have people with expertise in psychiatry. There is an advantage in such a situation, says Stenevik.
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Pilot suspected of violating the Aviation Act after the seaplane accident in Kvinnherad – news Vestland
