February 11, 1978
Cranbrook, BC, Canada
Pacific Western Airlines, Flight 314
Boeing B-737-275
C-FPWC
The aircraft touched down just as the crew noticed a snow plow on the runway. A go-
around was initiated but the thrust reverses did not stow away properly because hydraulic
power was automatically cut off at lift-off. The aircraft missed the plow, overran the runway,
crashed and burned. Forty-two of 49 aboard killed.
A - Cranbrook Aeradio
D - Calgary Departure
E - Calgary En route
G - Snow Sweeper
L - Aeradio Landline
PW314 - Pacific Western Flight 314
T - Calgary Tower
12.18 | PW314 | Calgary Clearance Delivery it's Pacific Westerns three fourteen. |
D | Three fourteen to the Cranbrook Airport centre stored flight level two zero zero. Depart runway one six, runway heading until through ten thousand, turn right squawk one three zero zero. | |
PW314 | OK, three fourteen, the Cranbrook Airport, centre stored, flight level two zero zero runway one six to ten thousand before turning right squawking thirteen. | |
D | That's correct three one four, time one nine one nine and advise push back this frequency. | |
12.29 | PW314 | Three fourteen's ready in sequence. |
T | Three fourteen to position and hold sixteen. | |
PW314 | Three fourteen. | |
12.30 | T | PW three one four you're cleared for take-off runway sixteen, departure frequency one nineteen eight when airborne. |
PW314 | Three one four roger. | |
12.31 | PW314 | Calgary Departure it's Pacific Western three one four, runway heading out of forty-two hundred. |
D | Three one four is in contact: you can proceed on course. | |
PW314 | Three one four on course. | |
12.33 | L | Cranbrook radio-Calgary. |
L | Cranbrook's on. | |
L | I've got an inbound three one four from Calgary at two zero zero five. | |
L | Roger, Echo Hotel. | |
12.34:05 | A | Are you out there, my friend. |
12.34:08 | G | Yes sir. |
12.34:09 | A | Er - Five past the hour, Terry. |
12.34:11 | G | OK. What's the time now, Ernie? |
12.34:13 | A | Er - Half an hour from now. Thirty just coming up to thirty five. |
12.34:16 | G | OK. Thank you. Everything's working good out here. |
12.34:20 | A | That's good. |
12.34:23 | G | Can't see you from here, so I don't know whether you're good looking or not. |
12.34:27 | A | Oh - take my word for it - I'm good looking. |
12.34:29 | G | 0.K. |
12.36 | D | PW three one four can call enroute one thirty three three, good day. |
PW314 | Calgary Enroute, it's Pacific Western three one four on one thirty three three out of sixteen thousand for two zero zero. | |
E | Three one four's radar. | |
12.38 | PW314 | Three fourteen!s level two zero zero. |
E | Roger three fourteen you can come up on one twenty-five two. | |
12.42 | PW314 | Calgary, it's Pacific Western three fourteen request descent. |
E | Three fourteen cleared to the Cranbrook Airport for the approach, the altimeter at Cranbrook two nine seven seven, advise leaving one eight oh. | |
PW314 | OK, cleared to the Cranbrook Airport for an approach, nine seven seven and, ah, will call at one eight. | |
12.43 | E | Three fourteen. |
12.44 | PW314 | Three fourteen's out of one eight thousand. |
E | Roger advise time down this frequency. | |
12.46 | PW314 | Cranbrook Radio. Pacific Western three one four-er-your frequency. |
A | Three one four, Cranbrook, go ahead. | |
PW314 | Yes, sir. We have the approach. You can go ahead with your numbers. | |
A | OK - I'll give you the numbers - the wind at one five zero degrees magnetic at six Cranbrook altimeter two nine - two nine seven six and there's no reported traffic. | |
12.47 | PW314 | OK. We check-two nine seven six. |
A | And three one four. The-er-sweeper on the runway-er-has been for some time trying to keep the snow back for you. I'll let you know what it's like as soon as I get a progress from him. And the visibility - not much change in the weather - maybe visibility about three quarters of a mile in snow. | |
PW314 | Three fourteen checks. | |
12.55 | PW314 | We're gonna crash - |
G | Where the hell did he come from? | |
A | I don't know Terry, but he sure didn't call after his first call. | |
L | Cranbrook radio, Calgary. | |
L | Cranbrook. | |
L | I've got an inbound for you. | |
L | Standby a second please, I got an emergency. | |
L | Oh. OK. | |
20.04 | L | Cranbrook Radio, Calgary, are you still busy? |
L | Aoah, OK go ahead now Calgary. | |
L | OK, first off, where's PW three thirty, three fourteen now, have you any idea | |
L | Yeah, he's the emergency he's crashed and is burning off the end of the runway. |