Deadly Nunavut crash prompts calls for mandatory child seats on planes

The death of a six-month-old boy after a crash-landing in 2012has prompted investigators fromthe Transportation Safety Board to callfor stricter rules to keep childrensafe during commercial flights.

At a news conference in Winnipeg on Monday, the investigators said inclement weather, poor visibility, fatigue and a departure from established protocols all played a part in thePerimeter Aviationcrash 2years ago that claimedIsaac Appaqaq's life.

Transportation Safety Board chair Kathy Fox said that the twin-engine turbo prop "came in too high, too steep, too fast" in its flight from Winnipeg to Sanikiluaq, Nunavut, three days before Christmas in 2012.

Appaqaq was thrown from his mother's lap and died of multiple injuries, Nunavut's chief coroner Padma Suramala stated a few days after the crash.

"What stands out most was the tragic fate of the baby on this aircraft," saidFox.

"We think infants and children deserve an equivalent level of safety as adults on board aircraft, and that is why we are calling on Transport Canada and the aviation industry to take action. It's time to do right by our children."

Overran runway

The flightwas carrying seven passengers plusa pilotand co-pilot when itoverran the runway in Sanikiluaq on its second landing attempt.

"The flighttook off only for the flight crew to realize that they had forgotten the instrument procedure charts for approach and landing.Rather than return to the airport and extend the flight time even more, the captain insteadradioedthe company to obtain most of the required information,"said GayleConners, who was in charge of theinvestigation.

"By the time the captain tried to reject the landing, it was too late."

The planecame down hard, touching down 200 metres past the end of the runway and scrapingover the rocky terrain for another 335 metres before coming to a stop.

The eight other people on board suffered various non-life-threatening injuries.

Connerssaid that the investigation revealed stress and other issuesaffected decisions involved in making thelanding.

"The crew began feeling a growing pressure to land. Crew communications started to break down. Stress, workload, frustration and fatigue combined to narrow their attention, and they shifted away fromwell-practisedprocedures,"Connerssaid.

Mandatory restraints

Beyond what led to the crash,Foxsaid thefindingsshow thatadults are not strong enough to adequately restrain infants during turbulence or acrash-landingjust by holding them in their arms.

Transport Canada and airlines are already aware of the risks, Fox said, addingthey encourage families with children or infants to travel using"an approved child-restraint system during flights."

"The problem is these systems are not mandatory," said Fox.

The Transportation Safety Boardreleased tworecommendations aimed at ensuringthe safety of children and infants flying on commercial airliners.

"One,that commercial air carriers start routinely tracking and reporting data on the number of infants and children travelling," said Fox.

"And two, for the development and mandatory useof child-restraint systems so that infants and young children travelling on commercial aircraft will receive the same level of safety as adults."

Parents against recommendation

CBC News spoke with travellers in Winnipeg's James ArmstrongRichardson International Airport Monday about the suggesteddevelopment of a mandatory child-restraint system for young kids.

If the safety board's recommendations are put in place,parents travelling with babiesor infants would likelyhave to pay for an extra seat.ArneThomassen said that doesn't sit well with him.

"I think Transport Canada and our governments are just interfering with too many things in our lives and adding these costs is ridiculous," saidThomassen.

"There's lots of young families that would not be able to afford to travel by adding another $4,500to their flight."

Shaun Kehler saideven if he ismandated to purchaseanotherticket, his son will not be taking up an extra seat.

"He's sitting on me the whole time, so I don't think it's fair he has to have his own seat when I'm going to be holding him the whole time anyway," said Kehler.

"In an airplane I think if we crash it would be better[he was]in my arms than actually on a seat that they don't have a seatbelt to fit him."

More info needed

Fox saidhaving more reliable information about the frequency and number ofchildren aboard flights will help inform efforts to make flying safer.

"What's needed is better data to conduct research to assess risks and to outline emerging trends related to the carriage of infants and children," said Fox.

Following the release of the report,Canada's Transport Minister Lisa Raitt responded bysaying she expects the federal government will take a closelook at the safety board's recommendations.

"Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with the victim's family," said Raitt."We expect Transport Canada [will]review these recommendations on an expedited basis.

Sanikiluaq, where the PerimeterAviation flight crash-landed,is an Inuit community of 850 residents, situated on theBelcherIslands in southeastern Hudson Bay.