Residents want night flights for Texada Island's air ambulance reinstated

Residents of Texada Island, B.C.'s largest Gulf Island, who have been without nighttime air ambulance service for the last eight months say that's long enough.

Since the suspension, February 2, people who require emergency medical care after nightfall on the island of 1,000 people have had to wait for the Coast Guard or an emergency BC Ferries trip.

Rob McWilliam, president of the Texada Health Service Society, is tired of waiting.

"We want to see a resolution to this problem."

Black-hole effect

The Texada Island service was initially shut down because of something called the "black-hole effect," which McMillan describes as a pilot getting disoriented from a lack of light and losing track of the horizon.

The Transportation Safety Board implemented a review after an incident in Tofino in November 2015, when an air ambulance pilot nearly crashed and ended up making a hard landing due to low light. 

Transport Canada put a night restriction on several airports, including Texada Island, because its airport is not set up  for night landings.

But McWilliam says the airport had "ad-hoc procedures" in place to assist with night landings.

These included turbo flares, a spotlight used to illuminate a windsock and stand-by assistance from Gilles Bay firefighters to provide support.

"In 2015, there were three night flights, and every time we checked with the pilots to ensure it was all satisfactory. Things haven't really changed for us which is why we find it frustrating that we no longer have this vital service."

The Powell River Regional District, which oversees the Texada, airport is trying to resolve the issue, McWilliam says, by working directly with Transport Canada. 

Four emergency incidents in the meantime

In the meantime, McWilliam says there have been four emergency incidents which required night evacuations via ferry or Coast Guard.

He says he doesn't want pilots to feel unsafe but feels the measures they have implemented — flares, spotlight, and firefighter support — are adequate for the interim, although he would be happy to see some upgrades.

He estimates a new standardized lighting scheme and permanent helipad for the airport would cost up to $100,000.

"If you can find a way to ensure that safety is there, we feel like we should have access to this service."

With files from On The Island

To listen to the interview, click on the link labelled No night flights for Texada Island's air ambulance