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Transportation Safety Board of Canada / Transportation Safety Board of Canada

TSB Quarterly Review — Second quarter 2021-22

ISSN 2369-7954

October 2021

Chair's message

Despite the fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, the TSB has actively continued operations throughout the hot, (mostly) dry summer, striving to fulfill our mandate to advance transportation safety. In the second quarter of 2021, the TSB deployed investigators to 17 occurrence sites across the country and started 15 new investigations. The TSB released 10 investigation reports, notably marine investigation report M19A0025 – Captain Jim which illustrates how compromised stability can result from vessel modifications.

Based on information received from the RCMP and BC Wildfire Service, the TSB deployed an investigator to Lytton, B.C., on 9 July 2021 to gather information, examine and photograph the area, and assess the circumstances to determine if the rolling stock that passed through Lytton could have caused or sustained a fire that destroyed the town on 30 June 2021 (R21V0143). The TSB conducted significant investigative work to determine if there was a definitive connection between railway operations through Lytton, BC and the fire that destroyed the town. On 14 October, we informed the public that our investigation had not identified any such connection. The wildfire remains under investigation by BC Wildfire Service and the RCMP.

Over the last quarter, the TSB deployed to two derailments involving Ottawa’s Light Rail Transit (OLRT).  A few weeks ago, the Director of Investigations, Rail/Pipeline, sent a Rail Safety Advisory 617-02/21 to the City of Ottawa detailing concerns over the roller bearing failure which led to the derailment that took place on August 8 (R21H0099). The rail/pipeline branch is also continuing its work on the more recent OLRT derailment (R21H0121) that took place on September 19.

This month, we begin our TSB Watchlist 2020 mid-cycle consultations. Making use of online tools and in-person consultations, we aim to better understand how air, marine, and rail industries are responding to the issues identified on the current Watchlist, and the challenges that they might be facing in trying to do so. The Board will consider the results of this consultation when preparing the next TSB Watchlist, which we expect to publish in the fall of 2022.

Stay healthy and safe!

Kathleen Fox

Completed investigations

Air

Marine

Rail

New investigation pages

Air

Rail