A Carson Air Sweringen SA 226 aircraft flying near Kelowna, B.C., in this file photo. A plane of the same type crashed while flying to Prince George, B.C., from Vancouver.John Olafson
The B.C. Coroners Service says the pilot of a cargo plane that crashed in mountains north of Vancouver, killing him and a co-pilot, had a high level of alcohol in his system.
The service says toxicology tests found Robert Brandt had a blood-alcohol level of 0.24 per cent. That's three times the legal limit for driving, though federal aviation rules have a zero-tolerance policy for alcohol.
Thirty-four-year-old Brandt was captain of the twin-engine plane operated by Kelowna-based Carson Air.
It crashed on Coliseum Mountain just before 7 a.m. on April 13, also killing 32-year-old first officer Kevin Wang, who did not have any drugs or alcohol in his system.
The plane took off from Vancouver International Airport and was bound for Prince George.
The Transportation Safety Board said after the crash that the crew did not declare an emergency before the aircraft dropped from 2,400 metres to 900 metres altitude in less than 20 seconds.
Transport Canada regulations prohibit pilots and crew from drinking within eight hours of flying – a rule referred to as "eight hours from bottle to throttle."
With files from Staff