User:Sanjuanview/Air Canada Flight 190 January 10 2008

Air Canada Flight 190 January 10 2008

On January 10, 2008, Air Canada Flight 190 departed from Victoria, British Columbia, with 88 crew and passengers aboard. Within the first hour of flight, a severe jet upset event occurred, while the aircraft was in stable, smooth flight. The exact location of the event is not yet known, but it appears to have been close to the border between British Columbia and Washington. Violent side to side shaking occurred with an accompanying loss of altitude. Food service had just commenced so considerable food debris, books, laptops and unbuckled passengers and crew were thrown. Duration of the shaking was approximately 20 seconds. As a result of passenger and crew injuries, as well as cockpit control issues, an emergency was declared. After recovering control of the aircraft, the captain announced that they had experienced a computer malfunction but it is unclear whether computer failure occurred prior to the event, or wasas a result of the jet upset from an external cause. The flight was diverted to Calgary.

A full scale emergency response was initiated by the Calgary Airport Authority and Air Canada. 22 firetrucks and 10 ambulances were dispatched. Passengers were triaged and 10 passengers and crew were transferred to hospital with various injuries ranging from cuts and bruises to broken bones. All were released the same day. Most remaining passengers continued to their destinations, or returned to Victoria that day. Some passengers remained in Calgary overnight.

Many passengers immediately provided strong support for Air Canada's response to the crisis.

Shortly following the event, a Facebook group entitled Air Canada Flight 190 was formed by a Flight 190 passenger, Kathryn Bowler, to provide support to all passengers/crew who were on the flight.

The Canadian National Transportation Safety Board report on this incident is expected to be released in the spring, 2010.