Coroners Office Reports Pilot Of Carson Air Flight 66 Was Intoxicated

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Coroners Office Reports Pilot Of Carson Air Flight 66 Was Intoxicated

August 21, 2015 - Pilot of a deadly commercial flight had a blood alcohol level three times the legal limit. Back on April 13th, a Canadian commuter airline, Carson Air departed Vancouver International Airport at about 6:43 AM for Prince George Airport, Canada on a cargo flight carrying paper products used for banking.

About 20 minutes into the flight, ATC lost radar and radio contact with Carson Air Flight 66. Piloting the twin engine Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner (SA-226 Metro II) aircraft were Robert Brandt, 34, and his co-pilot Kevin Wang, 32 of Vancouver.

The Metroliner crashed, two days later authorities located the aircraft in British Columbia's North Shore Mountains, Canada. Both pilots were found dead, their bodies were located inside the aircraft's fuselage.

Robert Brandt Kevin Wang

Canada

's Transportation Safety Board reported their radar track of Flight 66 made a rapid uncontrolled decent, dropping 1500 meters in less than 20 seconds "The radar track gives us information on how fast it was descending ... and that is consistent with uncontrolled flight". Investigators further reported the pilots did not declare an emergency and investigators believe that due to the dispersal of wreckage and the lack of terrain damage that it is possible Flight 66 encountered an in-flight break-up.

An autopsy was performed on both pilots by British Columbia Coroners Service and the results showed Brandt had "a significant level of alcohol" in his system. According to British Columbia Coroners Service Brandt had a blood alcohol level of 52 mmol/L or 0.24 per cent, three times the legal limit of an automobile driver. Barb McLintock of the coroners office said, "It would be equivalent of a breathalyzer reading of 0.24 where 0.08 is the limit for motor vehicle drivers under the Criminal Code". No other substances were found in Brandt's system and no substances were found in the copilot. Kevin Hillier, vice president of Carson Air said, "The news was troubling as it is contrary to our policies and practices".