Flight Turbulence for Air Canada

Air Canada Flight AC190, enroute to Toronto from Victoria, British Columbia, was diverted to Calgary, Alberta, on Jan. 10 after it experienced severe turbulence flying over the Rocky Mountains. The Airbus A319 was carrying 83 passengers and five crewmembers. Ten of those onboard, including two of the flight attendants buffeted about the cabin, were taken to local hospitals for treatment of minor non-life-threatening injuries and released. Canada’s Transportation Safety Board is investigating. A TSB spokesman is quoted as saying the A319 experienced control problems while in level flight at 35,000 feet. An Air Canada spokesman wouldn’t speculate on what the cause was, whether turbulence or otherwise. “All I can say is that as soon as the incident took place, the employees involved took the decision to divert the plane to Calgary. There will not only be an internal investigation but a governmental investigation to determine the cause,” the Air Canada official reportedly stated. It is possible that the Air Canada jetliner did not run into clear air turbulence but instead experienced wake turbulence from another civil transport. The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating whether a United Airlines aircraft, flying just ahead of the Air Canada Airbus, created wake turbulence that the Air Canada A319 encountered. The NTSB is assisting the TSB with its investigation of the incident. They are analyzing the flight data recorder of the United aircraft and will pass on raw data to Canadian investigators.